


Bring Him Back to Me

by LovelyRita1967



Series: I Want the Best For You [4]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betaed, Blood and Injury, Butt Plugs, Canon-Typical Violence, Cock Warming, Come Eating, Daddy Kink, Dirty Talk, Dom Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Dom/sub, Face-Fucking, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Light BDSM, M/M, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgasm Denial, Polyamory, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, Sub Jaskier | Dandelion, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28481808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyRita1967/pseuds/LovelyRita1967
Summary: Pavel develops a relationship with Lord Blythe, but when something goes wrong, Lord Blythe must reach out to Geralt and Jaskier for help.Chapter 1 is almost entirely smut, but then the plot gets going. Overall, this is half light dom/sub smut, half adventure. It begins with Pavel/Lord Blythe and Geralt/Jaskier, but... well, you might have an idea where this is headed.I would recommend you read parts 1-3 first if you haven't yet. I promise you won't be disappointed!
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Original Male Character(s), Jaskier | Dandelion/Original Male Character(s), Pavel of Blythe Manor (Original Character)/Lord Edric Blythe (Original Character)
Series: I Want the Best For You [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2060037
Comments: 152
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My Pavel-verse continues to grow! I just can't stop writing it. 
> 
> Thank you to [Blaire_Seton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaire_Seton/pseuds/Blaire_Seton/works), best beta ever in the world. I LOVE YOU BLAIRE!!!!

_ Six weeks earlier _

Every muscle in Edric’s body was aching from five long days of hunting on horseback. He climbed into the tub and leaned back in the hot water with a sigh, enjoying the tingle from the heat travelling up his spine. His fingertips trailed through the fragrant water and, with half-closed eyes, he watched Pavel bustle about unpacking his cases. 

Once again, he thanked his lucky stars that he had had the foresight to not only keep Pavel on staff, but to promote him to estate steward. The young man was whip-smart, hard-working, endlessly efficient, and managed the rest of the staff with a kind yet firm hand. And not only was he overseeing the operations of the entire estate, he had also comfortably settled into the role of Edric’s personal attendant. 

Inheriting this estate had been a massive change for Edric and his sons. His wife had passed away when Lukas and Gabriel were still quite young, but it had taken them years to find a new equilibrium. Finding out he was heir to some distant, unknown relative, and inheriting the title ‘Lord Blythe’ with the accompanying large estate had sent them reeling again. It wasn’t overstating things to say that Pavel was a gift, and Edric couldn’t have managed without him.

He watched Pavel work, his long, lean frame bending over the bed to lay out Edric’s sleeping clothes. His eyes slid to Pavel’s ass and thighs, admiring the way his tight pants hugged them just so. He let his thoughts drift for a moment, and imagined pushing Pavel onto the bed and yanking those tight pants down. His cock twinged and he looked away, silently scolding himself again. He should not be thinking this way about his indispensable and cherished employee. And yet… his eyes slid back to the other man. 

This time Pavel’s wide, chocolate brown eyes were looking back. Pavel bit his lip slightly, held Edric’s gaze a moment, then turned and went back to work. 

Edric closed his eyes and tilted his head back.  _ Fuck. _ He was sure he wasn’t imaging the tension between them. The way Pavel held his eyes a second too long and said “Yes, milord,” and “No, milord,” to everything, the way he bowed and looked up at him through those thick lashes. The way his throat would jump and his lips would part when Edric gave him orders in a brusque tone. Edric had tried to be firm and maintain some distance, but it was getting increasingly difficult the more time he spent around his attendant. 

Edric continued to soak in the soothing water until his cases were unpacked and clothes laid out. Pavel hovered at Edric’s dressing table, straightening combs and brushing away invisible dust. 

“Pavel, come sit,” Edric said without thinking, waving a hand at the nearby stool. 

“Yes, milord.” Pavel darted over and perched on the stool next to the tub, hands clasped on his knees, eyes carefully staying high above the water line. 

“Tell me how things went while we were away.” 

“They went very well, milord.” Pavel cleared his throat. “We finished cataloguing the wine cellar, and the chimneys were cleaned out. And… Geralt of Rivia and his bard Jaskier were here.” 

“Geralt of Riva? What on earth for?” Edric frowned. He knew the story of how the previous Lord Blythe had been killed by a bruxa, of course, and how Geralt had saved the day by slaying not just that bruxa but a second one as well, getting rather severely wounded in the process. He was confused as to why Geralt and his bard would be back here though. 

“Um…” Pavel fidgeted with his doublet, his cheeks flushing faintly. 

Edric was intrigued. Pavel never fidgeted. Although he had definitely blushed the first few times he attended Edric’s bath. 

“Well, they have become friends of mine, sir. And they… wanted to check on me. To see if you kept me on.” Pavel was blushing furiously now. “They stayed for three days. I’m very sorry, milord.” He bowed his head.

“Sorry? What on earth for? The White Wolf and his bard would always be welcome here.” ‘ _Friends’,_ _were they?_ The blushing had him wondering. 

Pavel’s shoulders relaxed a fraction and he looked up at Edric. “Thank you, milord.” He bit his lip again and gave a look of such intensity that Edric felt his cock stir. Most inconvenient because it was in full view. 

Pavel closed his eyes for a moment and looked like he was gearing up to say something. Then it suddenly came out in a rush. “Milord… I just wanted you to know that I’m really most grateful to be in your employ, and, it would be my privilege to provide you with  _ anything…” _ Pavel’s eyes flicked to Edric’s cock, then looked back up at him intently “...you need.” 

Edric felt a spark in his gut. He was definitely not imagining things. 

Pavel inched his stool closer, licked his lips, and looked at Edric like a dog begging at the table.

Edric’s cock was fully thickening now. “Pavel…” he reached a hand out and lightly brushed his fingers over Pavel’s wavy, dark hair. “Do you want to… touch me?” 

Pavel let out a shaky breath. “Yes, milord.” 

He wrapped his fingers around Pavel’s ponytail and gave it the slightest tug. “Would you like to ask me?” 

Pavel nodded. “Please may I touch your cock, milord?” he whispered.

Edric bit back a groan. He leaned back, resting his arms on the rim of the tub. “You may.” 

“Thank you, milord.” Pavel slowly unbuttoned his doublet and slid it off. Edric felt his heart thudding against his ribcage. Pavel’s chemise was soft and thin, and danced on the edge of translucent. He carefully rolled up his sleeves, and then leaned over the edge of the tub. He dipped his hand into the water and gently grazed his fingertips along the smooth skin of Edric’s cock. 

Pavel teased his fingers up and down the shaft a few times, then let them drift downward and brush against Edric’s balls. Then one finger dragged up the bottom of the shaft, up until it lazily traced around the head. He swiped at the precome Edric could feel leaking from his slit already.

No one but Edric had touched Edric’s cock since he had moved into Blythe Manor. And for many years before that his lovers had been few and far between… the odd whore, or a quick fuck in a closet at a party would scratch the itch for him. He had lost interest in having a true partner when Rebecka had died, and he had no patience for the young women batting their eyelashes at him in the village square. 

But now, Pavel was staring at his cock with reverence. His lips were parted, his cheeks pink, and his breath was starting to come in short pants. Having a beautiful man touching him slowly, enjoying it, taking his time… Edric shivered and this time let the moan escape his lips. 

“Does this feel good, milord?” Pavel asked shyly, closing his hand around Edric’s dick.

“Mmm, yes, just like that, Pavel.” 

He began to stroke Edric in earnest, his hand sliding up and down until Edric felt the warmth beginning to build in his gut. 

The water swirled around the tub as Pavel’s hand pumped him, until finally Edric let his orgasm wash over him, the heat reaching right down into his curled toes. 

He lay back in the tub, boneless and spent. Pavel’s hand gently stroked Edric’s thigh, his eyes down. “Did I please you, milord?” 

“Yes, Pavel,” Edric sighed. “Good boy.” 

The words came to him without thinking, but he watched Pavel’s eyes snap open, and his whole body shuddered. “Thank you, milord.” 

“My towel, please.” He stood dripping in the tub while Pavel wrapped him carefully in the flannel. 

Pavel helped him dress, his touches lingering a moment longer than they used to. He stood closer, too, and Edric could feel the other man’s warm breath on his bare shoulder. 

When Edric dismissed him for the night Pavel bowed, then looked up at him. “Thank you, milord. Goodnight.” 

Edric watched him go, already looking forward to his next bath. 

The next night Edric was hard before he even got into the tub. Pavel cast him sidelong glances as he laid out sleeping clothes and tidied away the remains of the day. When he finally stopped and waited, hands folded in front of him, Edric was already leaking precome into the bath water. 

“Come, Pavel. Sit.”

Pavel sat on the stool again, his eyes sweeping over Edric’s cock. 

“Pavel…”

“Yes, milord?” 

“Last night… after… when you went back to your room…” 

“Yes, sir?” 

“Did you touch yourself?” Edric asked, picturing Pavel lying in bed with his cock out.

Pavel flushed and looked down. “Yes, milord,” he said after a brief hesitation. 

“Did you come?” Edric’s own cock throbbed.

“Yes, milord,” he squirmed. 

“That’s okay, Pavel. What did you think about?” Edric lightly trailed his fingers along his shaft under the water. 

Pavel’s cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. 

Fuck, he’d never get tired of that blushing. “Don’t be shy. You can tell me.” 

“I thought about… sucking Jaskier’s cock while Geralt fucked me and…. you watching us.” He looked up and met Edric’s gaze head on.

Edric gulped and squeezed his cock, imagining Pavel getting railed by two dicks at once. “Tell me more.” 

“I want to choke on Jaskier’s dick with Geralt’s massive cock pounding me… while you make yourself come all over me…” Pavel reached out a hand and then paused. “Please may I touch you again, milord?”

“Fuck, yes,” Edric gasped. 

Pavel’s long, delicate fingers wrapped around his length. Edric groaned and pushed his hips up. “Do you like getting two cocks at once, Pavel?” 

“Yes, milord,” he breathed. He began to pump Edric’s dick, and Edric was so turned on he already felt the ball of heat growing in his gut. 

“Look at me, Pavel.” He took Pavel’s chin and tilted his face up to look at him. “Do you like being told what to do?” 

“Yes, sir,” he whimpered. 

“Does Geralt tell you what to do when he fucks you?”* he asked, breath coming in short gasps. 

“Yes, sir.”

Edric groaned. “Make me come, Pavel.” 

“Yes, milord.” Pavel licked his lips and jerked Edric off faster. 

Edric tipped his head back and gave himself over to the building wave. He came with a soft cry, his come milky white in the water. Edric panted and rested his head back on the tub while Pavel worked him through the tremors. 

Edric turned his head and regarded Pavel with half-closed eyes. The man was flushed and squirming. “Are you hard right now, Pavel?”

“Yes, milord.”

“Stand up and show me your cock.”

“Yes, sir.” Pavel obediently stood up and unbuttoned his trousers. He pushed them down and his long, elegant cock sprang out, already hard and wet. 

“Touch yourself.” 

Pavel moaned and took himself in his hand, giving himself a few long, slow strokes.

“Pavel, from now on, your cock belongs to me.” 

“Ahhh,” Pavel shivered and bit his lip. “Yes, sir.” He stroked himself a little faster. 

“You may not touch yourself without my permission. You may not come without my permission. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, milord. My cock belongs to you.” 

“Good boy. Go faster.” Edric’s cock was twitching again watching Pavel furiously jerk himself off. 

Pavel gripped the edge of the tub with his other hand, his eyes shut tightly. A sheen of sweat beaded on his brow.

“Are you going to come soon, you pretty thing?” 

“Yes, sir,” he groaned. 

“I want you to look at me and ask me first.” 

Pavel looked at Edric with big eyes, his frantic pace continuing. “Please, may I come, milord?” 

“Yes, you may, onto my chest.” 

“Fuck,” Pavel bit out as he leaned over the tub and pumped himself a few more times until he moaned and spurted all over Edric’s chest and stomach. 

“Beautiful…” Edric rumbled, watching Pavel come undone. He swiped a finger through the come. “You did so well.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Pavel panted. 

Edric wiped himself off with a cloth while Pavel did his pants up. Then Pavel helped his lord rinse and dry off with a soft towel. They spoke little, just light touches and heavy glances. Once Edric was dressed he dismissed Pavel for the evening. 

Edric jerked off again in bed that night to the memory of Pavel coming on his chest, imagining him licking it up afterward. As he was drifting off to sleep he suddenly wondered when the “itch” had become a fire.

* * * * 

_ Present Day _

“We’re awfully close to Wells again, aren’t we?” Jaskier wondered, with a complete lack of subtlety, from across the campfire.

Geralt smirked and stretched his legs out from the log he was sitting on. “‘Awfully’ close, no. And we are on our way to Aedirn for the wyvern nest.” 

Jaskier pouted. “I was hoping we could go see Pavel.” 

Geralt chuckled. “It’s only been a few weeks.” 

“It's been six weeks, and I miss him,” Jaskier said simply, shrugging a shoulder.

Geralt softened. “We’ll head back this way after Aedirn… alright?” 

“Okay,” Jaskier nodded, poking at the fire with a stick. 

“I’m sure he’s doing fine. He was happy with the new lord.”

Jaskier hummed despondently. 

“Hey. Come here,” Geralt told him. 

Jaskier got up and made his way around the fire to sit on the ground between Geralt’s legs. Geralt wrapped his arms around Jaskier’s shoulders. “I miss him, too.” 

Jaskier twisted to look up at Geralt and he couldn’t help leaning in to kiss Jaskier’s soft lips. Jaskier turned his body and put his hands on Geralt’s thighs, pulling himself up onto his knees. He opened his mouth and eagerly accepted Geralt’s tongue. Geralt’s hands slid down Jaskier’s back and gripped his ass. Their kiss quickly grew desperate, lips sucking and pulling, demanding more.

Jaskier’s strong hands squeezed Geralt’s thighs, and then he broke off the kiss, panting, touching his forehead to Geralt’s. “Make me forget that I miss him tonight, please, Geralt.” 

Geralt hastily unlaced Jaskier pants and yanked them down, then fumbled for a jar in his bag. He scooped out a healthy dollop of lube and reached around to press a finger into Jaskier. He was still loose from when they had fucked before dinner, lazy and slow in the grass. He added a second finger and then a third as their frantic kissing continued. 

“That’s enough,” Jaskier breathed into his mouth. “I need you to fuck me, Geralt.” 

Geralt unfurled a bedroll over the log he had been sitting on and bent Jaskier over it. He yanked his cock out of his pants and pushed it into Jaskier until his hips were flush against Jaskier’s ass. 

“Ah,” Jaskier cried, straining back against him. “Gods, yes.” 

“You like it like this, don’t you?” Geralt asked, pulling out only a few inches before thrusting hard back in. “Bent over for me, ass in the air.” 

“Fuck, yes,” Jaskier groaned. “More.” 

Geralt gave him more. 

* * * *

In the morning Geralt jolted awake to the sound of a rider approaching, which wasn’t that unusual. It was the frantic pace accompanied by heavy breathing and hammering heart that alarmed him. 

He gently rolled Jaskier off his chest and stood up, buttoning his trousers and smoothing his hair back. Jaskier stirred and looked up at Geralt with one eye. “What is it?” 

“Someone is coming... in quite a hurry.” They had camped tucked away in a copse of birch trees not far from the road. He strapped on his swords just in case and waited by the road as the pounding hooves came closer, and then rounded the last corner. 

The rider was on a black horse and Geralt could see the relief in the young man’s face when he got close enough for his human eyes to discern Geralt’s white hair and wide shoulders. 

“Geralt of Rivia!” the man cried as he pulled up, his horse frothing at the mouth, hooves still dancing. “Thanks the gods I’ve found you!” He was panting and covered in dust from the dry road. 

“Easy,” Geralt said, placing a calming hand on the horse’s nose. He had never seen the man before, but something about him seemed familiar. 

“Lord Blythe sent us all out to find you,” he gasped, his mouth dry. 

Geralt felt a stab of fear in his gut. 

“It’s Pavel. Someone’s taken him.”


	2. Chapter 2

Edric sat at his desk in his study, flipping through endless pages of documents. He had no idea being Lord Blythe would involve so much paperwork. There was a soft rap at the door and he put his papers down with relief at the distraction. “Yes?” he called. 

The door clicked open and Pavel’s dark brown hair popped through. He bowed gracefully. “I beg your pardon, milord. Would you like your dinner in here this evening, or the dining room?” 

“In here, I suppose,” he sighed. There was still so much to do. 

“Very good, milord. Did you need anything else at the moment?” 

Fuck. Every time Pavel asked him that all he could think about was replying,  _ Yes, I need you to suck my dick. _ And with that thought, he was hard again. Edric shifted in his chair. 

Pavel had unlocked some long-forgotten need that had been buried away when Rebecka died. Edric had never had so many baths. Every night now for almost two weeks, Pavel had jerked him off in the tub, and then Edric ordered him to come onto his chest. 

And now, the way he was looking at Edric…

“Yes. Come in, please. And lock the door behind you.”

“Yes, sir,” he said with a catch in his voice. Pavel did as he was told and approached the desk. He stood, waiting, his hands folded in front of him. 

“Pavel,” Edric started. “I have been enjoying our... arrangement.” 

“I have as well, sir.” His cheeks flushed their usual gorgeous pink. 

The words Edric had been planning to say vanished from his head. “Would you like to suck my dick?” he said instead. 

Pavel’s eyes widened, and perhaps he swayed on his feet the slightest bit. “Yes, please, milord.” 

“Get a cushion.” 

Pavel snatched a pillow from the divan and approached the desk, eyes shining. 

Edric pushed his chair back and spread his legs. “Come here.” 

Pavel walked up to him and stopped, fingers clutching the pillow tightly. Edric took it from him and dropped it on the floor under his desk. He reached for Pavel’s hips and tugged him closer until he was standing between his legs. 

Pavel reached forward and slowly undid Edric’s trousers, one agonizing button at a time. Edric squeezed Pavel’s hips, thumbs circling his hip bones. His breath was already coming louder and faster. Then Pavel pulled Edric’s hard cock out and gazed at it hungrily. He looked up at Edric through his lashes. “Please, may I suck your cock now, Daddy?” 

“Fuck,” Edric growled. “Get on your knees.” 

Pavel climbed under the desk and Edric tucked his chair back in, watching as Pavel’s tongue darted out and licked up the underside of his dick. 

Edric shivered. “Gods, yes…” 

Pavel took the head in his mouth, dragging his tongue along the slit. He sank down the whole way down with a moan and Edric tensed, already wanting to come. 

His hand slid into Pavel’s hair. “Look at me,” Edric rumbled. 

Pavel looked up at him, his lips stretched around the base of Edric’s cock. 

“If you need to stop, tap my knee. Nod if you understand.” 

Pavel nodded, his tongue sliding along the shaft. 

“Gods, you look so good swallowing my cock like that.” Edric gave Pavel’s hair a tug, and the man moaned again. The vibration felt like fucking heaven, and Edric felt the tingle of an approaching orgasm. 

“Fuck, Pavel, how do you-” he started to say, but then Pavel swallowed, and his throat pulled at Edric. “Ahhhh-” he bit out. “Fuck.”

Pavel started to bob his head up and down. Edric couldn’t take his eyes off of Pavel’s lips sliding along his shaft. 

It wasn’t long before he felt himself teetering on the edge. “I’m close. I want you to take it down your throat.” 

Pavel groaned, and that was enough. Edric came with a low cry while Pavel swallowed it down eagerly. 

Pavel slowly pulled off, his tongue chasing a last drop of come on the head. His hands stroked Edric’s thighs. Edric ran his hand over Pavel’s head. “Good boy.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Pavel whispered, his voice a little rough. 

Edric eyed the stack of paperwork. “Would you like to stay down there for a bit, puppy?” The nickname slipped out without thought. 

Pavel closed his eyes and nuzzled at Edric’s soft cock. “Yes, please, milord.” 

Edric stroked his cheek. “I have some more work to do. Would you like to keep my cock warm for me?” 

Pavel shivered. “Yes, sir.” He opened his mouth, and with another glance up, gently took Edric into his mouth. 

“That’s a good boy,” Edric purred, smoothing Pavel’s hair back. “You just hold it there. No tongue, no sucking. You may not touch me otherwise, or yourself. And if you’re good, I may let you suck me off again later.” 

Pavel nodded, looking up at him with big eyes, his mouth full. 

Edric reached for his stack of papers and flipped a ledger open. This was a much better way to do paperwork. 

* * * * 

The rider, who had turned out to be Lord Blythe’s elder son, Lukas, had barely had time to explain a thing before Geralt was racing back through the trees, bellowing at Jaskier to pack up their camp. 

“What is going on, Geralt?” he asked, eyes wide with concern as he began rolling up their bedding. 

“It’s Pavel. He’s been kidnapped.” 

“What?” Jaskier froze, mouth dropping open. “Kidnapped? What-?” 

“I don’t know much.” Geralt stuffed his potions and spare shirt into his pack. “Except he was taken. Three days ago. Lord Blythe sent riders in all directions looking for us.” 

“Three days?” Jaskier repeated, still in shock.

“Yes. We need to get to Blydon as fast as we can and pick up the trail.” 

Geralt pushed Roach like he never had before. Lukas’ horse was spent, and he fell back as Geralt and Jaskier raced for Blythe Manor. They stopped only to rest and water Roach as needed, and made it there in two days.

Roach’s hooves pounded down the lane to Blythe Manor. Geralt jumped off her back and tossed the reins at a stablehand, Jaskier right behind him. 

The door flew open and out came the stern-looking man in his forties Geralt recognized from the portrait he had seen in the foyer last time. His dark, serious eyes were tired, the strain evident in the lines of his face. 

“Lord Blythe,” Geralt nodded at him, with no time for further niceties. “Tell me everything.” 

They sat together in the parlour, Lord Blythe issuing sharp commands for food and water to be brought for the witcher and his companion. 

“Sunday afternoon, I was touring the grounds with Pavel and my sons. Pavel was bringing us up to date on some improvements we’ve undertaken, and showing us what more there was to be done. It was such a nice day that the boys and I sat in the garden while Pavel went inside to see about having our dinner brought outside. “ Lord Blythe paced the room as he spoke, occasionally running his hands through his thick hair. 

“He had been gone quite a while when I went to go investigate. I found a tray of ale that had been dropped and smashed by the kitchen door, and Pavel was nowhere to be found. The cook told me the last she saw Pavel he had been leaving with the tray.” The anguish was plain in his voice.

“We searched the grounds and found a stable boy tied up in an empty stable. He said three men bound him, then they stole all the horses and took Pavel with them.” 

Geralt waited impatiently for Lord Blythe to finish talking, his mind already spinning. He and Jaskier ignored the tray of food that was delivered. 

“I went to town. Marietta said she had served three strange men at the Hungry Hound the night before. They kept their heads down and didn’t say much to her.” Lord Blythe slumped into an armchair and took a shaking breath. “I sent riders out, looking for you, first thing the next morning, and I thank the gods we found you. I need you to get Pavel back, Geralt of Rivia.” 

“Do you have any idea who could have taken him? Or why?” 

Lord Blythe shook his head despondently. “My circumstances have… changed… somewhat, recently, and there are-”

“Lord Blythe!” a voice shrieked from outside, then they heard the front door crash open and footsteps barrelling towards the room. A boy appeared, fifteen or so, chest heaving, waving a piece of parchment in his hand. 

“Anton!” Lord Blythe jumped to his feet.

“Three days ago…” he panted, and fell onto a chaise, “a man… gave me this…” 

Geralt took the paper from his hand. “Someone get him some water,” he snapped to the hovering servants. Lord Blythe and Jaskier huddled around him to read. 

_ 5000 marks to get him back_  
_send a boy alone to drop it by Sunday_  
_or we kill him_

Below was a crudely drawn map of the road between Wells and Blydon. It showed some of the smaller roads that branched off, and one of them had an _x_ marked on it, next to a sketch of what must have been a gnarled tree stump. 

“A ransom note?” Lord Blythe closed his eyes. “Sunday? That’s tomorrow!”

Jaskier made a small noise of despair. 

“This is good,” Geralt rumbled, deep in thought. “It means he’s still alive, probably, and they’re not likely to kill him if they get what they want.”

“I don’t think I can get 5000 marks by tomorrow.” 

Geralt pictured Pavel bound and gagged, terrified and alone. He felt a rage coiling in his chest like never before. “You won’t need it,” he promised darkly.


	3. Chapter 3

Edric sat on the edge of his bed. He was wearing a robe, and was naked otherwise. He had already bathed, without telling Pavel, and now waited for him to arrive. He finally heard Pavel’s soft knock. “Come in,” he called. 

“Milord,” Pavel bowed. He saw the empty bath and frowned. “Did Horace and Anton not fill your tub? I am so sorry-” He made to leave but Edric cut him off. 

“I already bathed.” 

“Milord?” 

“You heard me. Lock the door and come here.” 

Pavel approached the bed, still confused. “Milord, did I misunderstand your plans for this evening?” 

“Stop talking and kneel.” 

Pavel knelt at Edric’s feet, the uncertainty still plain on his face. 

Edric undid his robe and pulled it open, revealing a cock that was ready and waiting. He took it in his hand and stroked it slowly as he spoke to Pavel. 

A light dawned in Pavel’s eyes as they locked onto Edric’s dick. 

“Were you a good boy today, Pavel?” 

“Yes, sir,” he whispered, squirming. 

“Were you? Did you follow the rules when you warmed my cock today?” Along with bath time, cockwarming had become a regular part of their routine. Edric found himself much more willing to tackle paperwork when it was accompanied by Pavel’s mouth on him and bookended with blowjobs. 

“I… may have used my tongue a little, sir.” Pavel looked down at his hands. 

“Yes, you did.” Edric stroked Pavel’s hair. “You didn’t follow the rules.” 

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” 

Edric could see Pavel’s hardening dick through his tight pants. “I know you are, puppy. But I’m going to fuck your mouth now, as a reminder.” 

“Yes, Daddy. Please punish me.” His voice shook with excitement. 

“Tap me if you need me to stop.” Edric shifted his hips to the edge of the bed and tightened his grip on Pavel’s hair. “Otherwise keep your hands on your knees.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

He pulled Pavel’s mouth onto his cock and groaned as Pavel’s nose pressed into his pubic hair. “Fuck, your mouth feels so good.” He pulled Pavel off part way and then pushed him back down again a few times. “Gods, you’re taking my cock so well…” 

Then he gripped Pavel’s hair with both hands and began to rock his hips as he pulled Pavel’s head up and down to meet his thrusts. Pavel made a soft choking sound, but kept his hands tightly clenched to his knees. 

“Good boy,” Edric purred, taking in the wet sounds of Pavel’s mouth sliding on his cock. His hips began to move faster, and as Pavel moaned around his dick he stood up and fucked hard into Pavel’s mouth. 

His orgasm built quickly, and he came hard with a shout, feeling Pavel’s throat swallow greedily. 

“Fuck…” he panted, pulling out carefully. A thread of come trailed from his cockhead to Pavel’s lips. He let go of Pavel’s hair and fell back onto the bed, legs wobbly. He closed his eyes and took a breath, allowing himself to enjoy the last tremors of pleasure rippling through his body. 

Then he snapped his eyes open and regarded Pavel sternly. “Stand up.” 

Pavel climbed to his feet, a wet spot spreading where his erection obviously strained at his trousers. He wiped a drop of come off his lip.

“You took your punishment very well, Pavel. I’m proud of you.” He tucked his robe back around himself, and then looked up at Pavel with a cool twist of his mouth. “Goodnight.” 

“Sir?” Pavel blinked at him. 

“You don’t get to come tonight. You’ve been a good boy, but you need to think more about following the rules. You can try harder tomorrow.” 

Pavel swallowed audibly and squirmed. “May I touch myself, milord?” he asked desperately. 

Edric chuckled. “You know the answer to that, puppy. You may not. Now be a good boy and go to your room.” 

* * * * 

When Pavel knocked the next night, Edric was already in the tub. Pavel hurried over. “Milord.” He waited with his head bowed. 

Edric smirked at Pavel’s bulge. “Are you hard already, puppy?” 

“Yes, milord,” he breathed.

“Have touched yourself at all since last night?” 

“No, sir. Not once. I’ve been good, I promise.” 

“That’s a good boy,” Edric said, feeling his own cock thickening. “Take all your clothes off. I want to see you.” 

Pavel’s eyes widened. Aside from rolling his sleeves up and pulling his dick out, up until this point his clothes had always remained on. His long fingers began undoing the buttons of his doublet, which he slid off and draped over the stool. His chemise was translucent this time, and Edric could see his dark nipples through the gauzy fabric. Then he pulled it over his head and Edric felt his mouth dry out at the sight before him. Pavel had a slim build but firm muscles that rippled under his caramel skin. Edric realized had been missing out all this time. 

Then, looking straight at Edric, Pavel pulled the tie out of his hair and shook his hair out. Long, wavy curls fell over his face. 

Edric wanted to run his hands through it. He began to touch himself slowly. “Now your pants.” 

Pavel pulled his boots off and tossed them aside, then unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them down. His hard cock bounced free, precome already beading on the head. Edric admired his long, taught thighs as he pulled his pants off and added them to the pile on the stool. 

_ Fuck,  _ he was beautiful. 

Suddenly Edric was overwhelmed with the need to touch. He reached over and slid his fingers around Pavel’s cock. “Such a good boy…” he murmured, giving him a gentle squeeze. He began to stroke him up and down. 

“Ah, thank you, sir,” Pavel gasped. 

“Did you think about coming all day, puppy?” Edric twisted his palm over Pavel’s weeping slit.

“Yes,” he breathed, leaning onto the tub and tipping his head back.

“Next time you warm my cock are you going to follow the rules?” 

“Yes, yes, I promise,” he panted. 

Edric pumped him faster, seeing Pavel’s thighs tremble. “Do you want to come, my pretty thing?” 

“Yes, Daddy,” he groaned. His fingers gripped the edge of the tub. 

“Do you think you deserve to come?” Edric asked, watching Pavel’s precome drip into the water. 

“Yes, Daddy, please. I’ve been so good,” he said urgently, his voice rough. 

Edric watched the ecstasy and agony war on Pavel’s face one moment longer, then gave his boy his reward. “Come for me now, Pavel.” 

* * * * 

The plan was simple. Have Anton drop the bag containing roughly 2000 marks at the marked spot, then Geralt would track whoever picked it up back to their camp, kill everyone, and rescue Pavel. 

Except neither Jaskier nor Lord Blythe liked that plan. 

“I’m coming with you,” Jaskier said stubbornly, folding his arms and just about stomping his foot. 

“Jaskier… we do not have time for this right now,” Geralt said through gritted teeth. 

“I should come, too,” Lord Blythe added. “I can handle a sword.” 

“You- Lord Blythe-” Geralt stopped and rested his forehead in his hand. 

“Edric,” the man stated. “Call me Edric.” 

“Edric. It would really be better if I went alone. We don’t know how many there could be-” 

“Exactly. You might need our help,” Jaskier cut in triumphantly. “We’ve been working on my fighting technique for years. You  _ know  _ I can handle it.” 

_ Great, now it’s two on one. _ Geralt’s brow furrowed as he looked at Edric. “If you get in a tight spot and I have to choose between you and Pavel…”

The man nodded crisply. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Geralt sighed and tried Jaskier one more time. “You may not like what we find. Pavel could be hurt or even…” The word died on his lips. 

Jaskier’s chin quavered. “Well then, I’m not letting you face that alone.” 

Jaskier and Geralt eyed each other a moment while Edric looked between them. 

“Fine,” Geralt relented finally. “But you both do exactly as I say.” 

Jaskier allowed a smile to tug at his lips. “I can do that.” 

“Fuck.”

* * * * 

Edric and Jaskier stayed behind to gather what money the estate had on hand, polish their weapons, and check over Geralt’s armour. Geralt went into Blydon to find out any more he could from Marietta about the three strange men who had been there before they took Pavel. 

Geralt ducked into the Hungry Hound, remembering it well from the night Jaskier had gotten them invited to Blythe Manor the first time. His eyes scanned the bar until they landed on the woman he recalled with great fondness. Marietta had been at the party. In fact, she had been the one to encourage Geralt to confess his feelings to Jaskier. She may have even been the one to make Geralt face the fact he had feelings in the first place. 

“Geralt!” she cried happily when she saw him. She came running out from behind the bar and threw her arms around him. She was tiny and hit him like a drop of rain on a tin roof. Geralt returned the hug carefully. 

She pulled away and looked up at him. “What are you doing here? Did you come to rescue Pavel?* Is Jaskier here?” 

“Yes, I…” There was much to explain and little time. “I need to talk to you about the men you saw.” 

“Yes, of course.” Her face grew deadly serious and she pulled him over to a quiet table in the corner. “Two were around 50. One had grey hair and a bushy beard, the other scraggly blonde hair. The third was younger, around 25, also blonde. Never seen them before. They were dirty and very hungry.” She leaned back and shrugged helplessly. “I wish I could tell you more.” 

“Were they armed?” 

“Yes, they all had swords on their belts, and likely daggers in their boots.” 

“Did they look…” Geralt paused, unsure what word he was looking for. 

“Dangerous? Desperate? Yes,” Marietta supplied. 

Geralt looked at her grimly. “I was afraid of that.” 

* * * * 

On Sunday the men set out from Blydon first thing in the morning, long before the appointed drop time, and avoiding the main roads in case anyone was watching. They would cut wide through the woods to loop around and find a good place to set up watch. Anton was left behind with strict instructions to wait until midday, then ride out to the drop spot, deposit the money, and leave right away. 

They walked through the forest silently, without Jaskier’s usual inane chatter. The trees were thick overhead, but the undergrowth was sparse, and it was easy going as the ground climbed beneath their feet. Geralt eventually chose a spot up a distant ridge overlooking the abandoned side road, with what must have been the gnarled stump drawn on the map barely visible to his witcher eyes.

They sat to wait patiently, nibbling on bread and cheese, until Geralt suddenly stiffened and held his hand up to signal them to freeze. He silently got to his feet and took a few steps, scenting the wind. He came back and whispered. “A scout. But we’re far enough away that he missed us. He’s heading towards the drop.” 

Edric nodded silently. Aside from the bare minimum needed to explain what happened and plan the rescue, he had in fact barely said anything. Geralt had yet to figure out what was going on behind his steely grey eyes. 

Geralt sprang to his feet again when he saw Anton approaching on the road. The three of them began to make their way down the ridge, one quiet foot at a time. Geralt found himself coiled tighter than a spring, every nerve stretched and ready to snap at moment’s notice.

As instructed, Anton hopped off his horse and left the bag on the ground next to the stump. He looked around at the deserted road, then climbed back on and off he went back towards Blydon.

Geralt let out a breath and allowed them to creep a little bit closer, then stopped and closed his eyes, giving his senses over to the forest around them. When he snapped his eyes open, Jaskier and Edric were watching him closely. “Now we wait.” 

Geralt watched Jaskier drum his fingers endlessly on his thigh, while Edric sat quietly with his hands folded, seemingly lost in his thoughts. His calm exterior was betrayed by a subtly jiggling leg.

Geralt studied him, thinking back to their last visit with Pavel. He and Jaskier were reluctant to leave Pavel lonely, without his needs being met, and they had encouraged Pavel to… let Lord Blythe know he was available for other kinds of service. Based on what Geralt had seen from the lord so far, he suspected that Pavel had been successful. He briefly debated finding a way to confirm his suspicions with Edric, but sitting silently in the forest before executing a rescue mission didn’t seem like the time or place to ask. 

It was hours later, night finally falling around them, when Geralt’s ears pricked up and his attention snapped towards the road. “They’re coming.” They watched silently as a dark, hooded figure emerged from the trees at the stump, and then vanished into the woods again as quickly as it had appeared. 

Without a word, Geralt downed a vial of potion and was off, silently whisking through the trees. Jaskier and Edric followed, slightly less silently, but managing to keep up with Geralt’s urgent pace. 

Geralt held them up once, then turned to whisper. “He just met up with the scout.” Then he was off again. They hiked well into the night, the forest thickening until even Jaskier and Edric’s human eyes could see a campfire flickering through the trees in the distance. They crept a little closer and crouched behind a rise while Geralt listened. 

“Anyone follow you?” a gruff voice demanded as the two figures they had followed flopped onto a log next to the fire. 

“Fuck you think? We marched back here with someone tailing us? Cleeve didn’t see a thing at the pick up and I scouted three full loops. Nothing,” one of them replied. 

“You count it?” asked the first voice.

“Nah. There’s a lot, though. Better than I thought we’d get for his fucking servant,” the other one replied. 

“Would you shut up about it?” said another voice, higher pitched than the first two. “It worked, didn’t it?” 

“Still say we coulda gotten a lot more for one of his sons,” grumbled a fourth voice. 

“I said  _ shut up,” _ the higher voice hissed. 

“That’s enough,” snapped the first voice. “Everyone get some sleep. Clement, take first watch.” 

“Fucking hell, Johen, I just hiked half the night-” 

“Maybe you didn’t hear me,” Johen cut him off. “You got first watch.” 

There was no reply. Three of them stretched out on the ground, caps pulled over their eyes, while Clement sulked and threw tiny sticks into the fire. 

They drew a little farther away and Geralt faced them, eyes grim. “Pavel is not here. There are only the four heartbeats of the men around the fire.” 

“What?” Jaskier gasped. “Where is he?” 

“I don’t know.” Geralt shook his head and recounted what he had overheard. 

Edric’s eyes grew round. “They were trying to take one of my sons?” he said in disbelief. Then his eyes narrowed when he heard the names Johen and Clement. 

“You know them?” Geralt asked with a sense of dread. 

Edric nodded, his lips forming a hard line. “Indeed I do.”


	4. Chapter 4

As the days flew by, Edric wasn’t sure what was coming over him. Everywhere he turned, there was Pavel. Bending over to investigate the chimney flue in the parlour, gently stretching his back after hefting sacks of flour into the pantry, closing his eyes and smiling as the summer breeze blew tendrils of hair off his neck.

Edric found himself inhaling deeply when he passed Pavel in the hall, desperate for a hint of his scent. The whiff of anise he picked up gave him a spark in his gut and a flush in his cheeks. He stopped and regarded himself in a mirror. “Like a fucking teenager again,” he muttered to himself. 

And then one day he went into his study to find Pavel bent over his desk, pouring over a ledger. Edric closed and locked the door behind him. 

“Oh, milord!” Pavel straightened and then bowed. “I beg your pardon, I was just double-checking the numbers from our last order from the stonemason because there seemed to be…” He trailed off as Edric stared at him hungrily. “Is everything alright, milord?” 

Edric’s mouth had dried out. “Take off your pants and bend over my desk.”

There was a flash of something on Pavel’s face that he hadn’t seen before. A smirk? 

“Yes, milord.” Pavel slid off his boots then unbuttoned his pants and pulled them off. Then, with what could only be described as a gleam in his eye, he turned around and folded himself over the desk, legs spread wide. 

And there, between Pavel’s cheeks, Edric saw the shine of a round copper plug. He felt like he had been punched in the gut.  _ Pavel has a plug in his ass. _ Edric was light-headed as the blood in his head rushed to his cock. He steadied himself with a hand on the back of an armchair and made a strangled noise. 

Pavel turned to gaze at him over his shoulder. “Do you like it?” he whispered, eyelashes fluttering. 

“Sweet fucking Melitele and all the damned gods…”* Edric muttered, forcing his feet to move him over to the desk. He rubbed a hand on Pavel’s lower back. “Pavel…” Edric’s cock was straining at his trousers. “What…”

Pavel quivered. “I thought you might want me soon, sir, and I wanted to be ready for you…”

“Fuck…” Edric let a hand trail over the plug and Pavel squirmed. He tapped the handle gently and Pavel moaned.  _ Fuck. _ “You dirty little thing… How long have you been wearing this?” 

“Since Monday, sir.” 

Edric’s eyes widened and his cock throbbed. “You have been wearing this for  _ five days _ and I hadn’t noticed?” Edric thought back to Pavel’s orgasms the last few days and perhaps they had been even more… enthusiastic than normal. 

Pavel gave a small grin. “You never saw me from behind.” 

Edric raised an eyebrow and gave the handle a soft tug. “You naughty puppy.” 

Pavel moaned and clenched around the plug, and Edric thought he might come right there in his pants. 

“Will you fuck me, sir?” Pavel breathed, his hips rocking forward into the desk. “Please?” 

Wordlessly, Edric took hold of the plug and began inching it out. He licked his lips, wanting to fall apart watching the way Pavel’s rim clutched at the metal. 

He slid a hand under Pavel’s shirt onto his back and stroked at the soft skin while he teased the plug out slowly, with soft murmurs of encouragement. When it was out he sat it gently on the corner of the desk and slid three fingers into Pavel’s loose, slick hole. “Fuck, you’re so ready for me.” 

“Yes, Daddy,” Pavel panted, writhing and moaning on Edric’s fingers. “Yes, fuck me now, please.”

Edric leaned over the desk and found the tin of salve he kept in his drawer, then added a scoop to Pavel’s hole. 

Edric pulled his aching cock out of his trousers and gently pressed the head to Pavel’s entrance. Both men stilled and Edric took a deep breath. He slid home, slowly, achingly, savouring the moment he finally had Pavel on his cock.

Pavel was shaking and panting, murmuring, “Yes, yes, yes,” until Edric was fully seated, then Pavel arched his back and groaned, “Fuck.” 

Edric again had to push back against the building wave of a climax.  _ Not yet. _ He began to rock his hips slowly, relishing the delicious heat of Pavel around him. “Fuck, your ass feels so good,” he rumbled, moving his hips in a slow circle. “So fucking good.” 

“Yes, Daddy. Yes, I want you,” Pavel whispered, pressing his forehead to the desk. “Fuck me harder,  _ please.” _

Edric wanted to tell him to be patient, to drag it out, make it last, but as Pavel’s hole clenched at him and he watched the other man’s rim stretching over his cock, he lost all semblance of thought. 

He fucked him harder. 

His hips began to slap at Pavel’s skin and he let the wave that he had been forcing down start to build again. He reached a hand around to grab Pavel’s dick, and he stroked him up and down in time with his thrusts. The other hand he slid into Pavel’s hair, threading his fingers through the dark waves. 

When he was about to tip over the edge, he leaned over to whisper into Pavel’s ear, “Come for me.” Pavel gave a muffled cry into his forearm as he came, spilling his seed over Edric’s hand and down the side of the desk. 

Edric’s orgasm hit him hard as Pavel clenched down on him, and he moaned and shuddered, feeling his come shooting out in hot waves. He let go of Pavel’s hair and cock to clutch at his hips instead, thrusting deep into him with each crest of his orgasm. Finally, he slumped forward, resting his hands on the desk while they each panted and shivered. 

Finally Edric carefully pulled out, holding Pavel in place with a firm hand on his back. “Don’t move,” he commanded him. He reached for the plug and slid it back into Pavel’s puffy hole. “I want you to wear this for the rest of the day so when I see you I know that my come is still inside you.” 

His hole took it greedily and Pavel whimpered. “Yes, Daddy. Thank you.” 

For the rest of the day, again, everywhere he turned, there was Pavel, biting his lip and casting him long, meaningful looks. Edric wasn’t sure he was going to make it till bath time. 

* * * * 

The next day Edric happened upon Pavel doing inventory in the closet off the foyer. He shut the door behind them, and slipped behind Pavel. He pressed him up against the shelves. “Don’t make a sound,” Edric whispered, pressing his nose into Pavel’s neck and inhaling deeply. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of their surroundings as he slid his hands around Pavel’s narrow waist. 

Pavel sucked in a breath and nodded, grounding his ass back into Edric’s hardening cock. He shoved the book and quill he was holding onto a shelf. 

“Pull your pants down,” Edric breathed into his ear, fumbling with his own buttons and pulling out his hard length. 

Pavel obeyed, revealing the plug still seated in his ass. 

“Fuck,” Edric whispered. He let his fingers trail over the handle then pushed against it gently. 

Pavel shook and bit his lip, eyebrows furrowed with the effort of keeping quiet. 

Edric wiggled the plug back and forth until Pavel was panting and squirming. 

“Please, milord,” Pavel finally whimpered. 

“I said not to make a sound…” Edric slid a hand down and gave Pavel’s cock a rough squeeze.

Pavel sucked in a sharp breath and tipped his head back into Edric’s shoulder. 

“I came in here to fuck you but maybe I should just tease you with your plug instead.”

Pavel shook his head and gripped a shelf in front of him, pressing his ass backwards, hoping for more. 

“No?” Edric chuckled. “You want my cock in you instead?” He gave Pavel’s dick a few strokes.

Pavel nodded vigorously, a moan quietly rumbling in his throat. 

“You have been a very good boy lately, getting yourself ready for me…” Edric slowly tugged the plug out of Pavel and shoved it onto a shelf. 

Pavel panted and arched his back, spreading his legs a little wider. 

Edric pressed into him, a low groan escaping his lips. “Fuuuuuuck,” came out as a long breath as he rocked into Pavel again.  _ “Fuck.”  _ He began rolling his hips, pushing Pavel hard up against the shelves. 

He was settling into a rhythm when suddenly loud voices were talking outside the closet. 

Edric and Pavel froze for a moment, but then Edric put his hand over Pavel’s mouth and began fucking into him again, with slow, sensuous rolls. He could feel Pavel’s heart hammering under his arm, smell his sweat and the anise of his hair oil. 

The voices continued outside, two of the maids arguing over whose turn it was to dust the parlour. 

Edric pumped Pavel’s cock, his hand sliding wetly with Pavel’s precome. He pressed his nose into Pavel’s hair, breathing him in. He felt Pavel clenching down on him, so tight, and then the voices faded away down the hallway. 

“Good boy,” Edric breathed into his ear, stripping his cock with smooth strokes, and Pavel came with a quiet whimper, spilling over Edric’s hand onto one of the shelves. 

Edric joined him, his orgasm bursting bright white behind his eyes in the dark closet. He thrust deep into Pavel’s ass once, twice more, resting his head on Pavel’s shoulder as the last waves of pleasure surged down his limbs. He caught his breath and pulled out, feeling his come slip out and drip off his cock. He held onto Pavel’s hip, and fumbled in the dark with one hand before finding the plug and slipping it back in. 

He eyed the pool of come on the shelf in the dim lighting, watching it drip onto a cloak that was folded below. “I never liked that cloak anyway,” he mumbled, pulling it off the shelf and using it to wipe himself and Pavel clean. 

Pavel turned and smiled at him, tucking himself away and doing up his pants. “I will take the cloak to the laundry, sir.” 

“No, finish what you’re doing. I can slip it into the washtub.”

Pavel held his eyes a moment, so bright and shining in the dim light. “Thank you.” 

Something fluttered in Edric’s chest. “You’re welcome.” 

* * * * 

“Who are these men?” Geralt demanded quietly, folding his arms and letting his black gaze rest heavy on Lord Blythe. His Cat potion hadn’t worn off yet and he could see the dark forest as clear as day.

“I knew Johen in my previous life. He was a smuggler. Is still a smuggler, I assume. He’s a cheat and a liar. Clement is his associate, and I’m guessing the younger blonde one is Clement’s son, Cleeve.”

“How did you come to mingle with smugglers?” Jaskier asked. 

Edric shrugged. “I was a cooper… and did a bit of distilling on the side. Johen was interested in moving some of my products. But I refused to do business with him after he tried to cheat me and I learned more about the way he runs things. Nothing was below him. Blackmail, extortion, violence… Clement is even worse because he does Johen’s dirty work for him. And the tavern girls were known to avoid him as best they could. They moved around a lot because they pissed so many people off. I hadn’t seen hide nor hair of them for a year or two before my inheritance.” There was a cold fury in his voice Geralt had not heard before. 

Geralt nodded sharply. That was all he needed to know for now. “We need to keep them all alive if we can, until we know for sure where Pavel is. I’ll go straight in first and grab Clement before the others wake up. I’ll hold them at sword point until we can tie them up and get them talking. You two circle around the sides and make sure no one tries to make a run for it.” He drew his steel sword from his back. “If they try and pull anything, put your fucking blade through them.” 

Jaskier gulped and nodded, holding tight to his sword grip. Edric nodded grimly. 

With that, Geralt turned and began to creep towards the circle of light. He paused to give Jaskier and Edric time to flank the camp, and when they were set he swept in, silent as death.

Geralt had Clement hauled to his feet before the poor man could even register the witcher’s hulking form coming at him in a blur. He wrapped his arm around Clement’s neck and pressed his gloved hand over his dry, cracked lips, watching the man’s watery pale blue eyes bug out of his head. 

“Unless you want to die, keep your mouth shut,” Geralt rumbled at him in his most threatening voice. 

Clement pawed at Geralt’s hand until the tip of the witcher’s steel blade came into his view. He froze. 

“Where is P-” Geralt started, but then one of the men suddenly jumped from his bedroll and went barreling out into the night. “Fuck,” Geralt grunted. He watched Edric bolt after him, hot on his heels, and hoped the new lord could indeed handle a sword. 

But then his attention was drawn by the other two men stirring and sitting up warily. Geralt turned to face them, pressing the point of his sword to Clement’s neck. 

Looking at their faces Geralt felt a well of fury boiling up inside him. “Tell me where Pavel is, or I’ll gut each of you like an animal.” As he spoke he heard a small yelp and the squelch of a sword from the surrounding forest.

Clement let out a muffled cry, eyes frantic. 

“Shut up, Clement,” said the older man with grey hair and bushy beard, regarding Geralt calmly.  _ Johen, the leader. _ “He can’t kill us if he doesn’t know where we stashed the housemaid.” He looked Geralt up and down and leaned back casually against the log. “A witcher, eh?  _ Lord Blythe”  _ \- he said it with all the derision he could muster- “must want his pretty boy back real bad.” 

Geralt gritted his teeth and suddenly felt a stab of worry. Perhaps they had played almost all their cards too early. He dove headlong into the rescue mission with little time for rational thinking, and now these thugs knew exactly how badly they wanted Pavel back. 

Geralt pressed his sword point to Clement’s neck, hard enough that the skin broke and a droplet of blood appeared. His eyes swiveled over to the other younger man seated on the ground. He had the same watery blue eyes as Clement and a look of pure terror on his face.  _ The son. Cleeve.  _

They were interrupted by Edric hauling a body into the circle of light by its foot. The dead man’s hands trailed behind him, a gaping wound in his gut visible. Edric dropped the corpse in the dirt next to Cleeve without a second glance and strode over to Johen, bloody blade pointing straight at him. 

“You killed Deg?” sputtered Cleeve, scrabbling back in the dirt, away from the body.

“Well, well,” Johen drawled, with all the care of a man on a Sunday picnic. “If it isn’t  _ Lord Blythe.” _

“You piece of shit,” Edric snarled, pressing his blade to Johen’s chest. 

_ Fuck. _ This was getting out of hand. Geralt could see Jaskier edging closer to the light and flicked his eyes towards him in what he hoped was a firm ‘stay there’ message. Jaskier was the last card they had. 

“I’m the only one who knows where he is,” Johen smirked up at Edric’s murderous gaze. “Can’t kill me.” 

Geralt watched Cleeve gulp and felt Clement’s pulse hammering under his fingers. 

And then Edric’s blade flashed as he sliced deep through Johen’s throat. The man’s eyes widened, and his hands clutched at the spurting wound for a breath, choking on his own blood. Then he slumped over, coughing and sputtering, body twitching, until he stilled, lifeless eyes staring up at the canopy above. 

Cleeve and Clement gaped as blood pooled on the dirt beneath Johen’s body, slowly seeping into the ground. 

Geralt blinked at Edric. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“He’s a liar,” Edric spat, kicking the corpse. “And this one-” he turned to stalk over to Clement “-knows every last fucking thing Johen does.” He stopped, inches from Clement’s nose, eyes aflame. “Don’t you, Clem,” he said softly. It wasn’t a question.

Geralt took his hand off Clement’s mouth. The man sucked in a shaky breath, his eyes wet. His gaze darted frantically between Geralt, Edric, and his son, and the witcher could smell the stink of fear. 

Jaskier crept into the light, coil of rope in his hands, eyes wide with shock. “Well…” he started. “At least we outnumber them now.” 

Geralt gave him a wry look. “Pass me the rope.” They tied up Clement and Cleeve while the father and son sweated silently, casting panicked glances at each other. 

Edric wiped the blood off of his blade using Johen’s cloak and then whirled his sword around with a flick of his wrist. It whispered back into its sheath. 

Jaskier paused to stare at him. “Did you say you were a cooper?” he asked skeptically, eyebrows arched. 

Edric’s lip twitched. “And distiller. By day.” 

“And were you perhaps a swash-buckling pirate by night?” 

“Cooper, distiller… smuggler…” he shrugged. “Let’s see what these assholes have to say about Pavel.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge thank you to my amazing beta, [Blaire_Seton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaire_Seton/works) who once again made this chapter so much better. ❤️
> 
> And thank you to you! This past week was a tough and your comments really helped me get through it. Thank you so much for sharing your light with me. 😘

“Good evening, sir,” Pavel said softly, shutting Edric’s bedroom door behind him. 

Edric had bathed early again, and was waiting for Pavel in his robe, lying back on his bed with a book he was pretending to read. 

“Good evening, Pavel,” Edric said, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. “How was your day?”

Pavel smiled softly. “It was very good, sir, thank you. I rode out to check on the new fencing in the far pasture.”

“Good, good. Perhaps tomorrow you could take me and the boys on tour of the grounds, see where we’re at with all the improvements?” 

“As you wish, milord.” Pavel inclined his head gracefully. His hair was loose, one curl falling over his eye. 

They gazed at each other a moment, the silence extending slightly longer than was comfortable.

Pavel looked at his feet, a soft blush colouring his cheeks. “Where do you want me?” he finally asked shyly. 

Edric felt a tingling in his chest. “Come here.” He put his book down on the bedside table and scooted to sit at the edge, his knees falling open. 

Pavel approached him, and Edric reached out a hand to draw Pavel in to stand between his legs. He looked up and held Pavel’s eyes as he undid the buttons of his doublet, then helped him shrug out of it, tossing it onto the floor. He pulled Pavel’s chemise loose from his waistband and slid his hands under it onto Pavel’s hard stomach. He ran his hands up, over pert nipples and then back down his sides. Pavel shivered. 

“Take this off,” Edric whispered, and watched Pavel whisk the gauzy fabric over his head. 

There was a soft trail of hair down Pavel’s stomach, disappearing at this waistband. Edric ran a finger down the hair, and then pulled the buttons of his trousers open. He pushed them down, over long, smooth thighs. Pavel’s cock sprung up right in front of his face and Edric leaned forward to gently suck the head into his mouth. 

Pavel groaned and let his hands fall onto Edric’s chest, and they smoothed along his collarbones, pushing his robe down off his shoulders. 

Edric lapped at Pavel’s slit with his tongue, savouring the taste of his precome. His head was spinning, heart pounding. 

“Mmmm,” Pavel sighed. “This feels so good, sir. Thank you.” 

Edric pulled off and then leaned down to help Pavel slide out of his boots and pants. Then he ran his hands back up Pavel’s thighs and placed his tongue at the base of Pavel’s cock, dragging up the shaft in a long, slow lick. 

Pavel’s whole body trembled, his breath quickening. 

Edric’s hands continued to ghost over Pavel’s soft, warm skin and lean muscles, his tongue gliding over his long, elegant cock. 

Pavel began making soft keening noises when Edric sat up again. “Lie back on the bed,” he told him, discarding his robe entirely. 

“Yes, sir,” Pavel murmured. He climbed onto the bed and lay back on the pillows, his caramel skin glowing in the soft candlelight. 

Edric knelt between his legs, trailing his fingers over Pavel’s hard thighs. 

Pavel sighed, his eyelids fluttering closed. 

Edric lifted Pavel’s knees up and pushed his legs wide open. He wasn’t surprised to see that his plug was missing since Pavel had been on horseback most of the day. 

He circled a finger around Pavel’s hole, enjoying the wiggles and sharp exhales the small action elicited. Edric reached for the salve on his nightstand and scooped some out. He teased a finger in as Pavel gasped, and watched the rim squeeze him tight. 

He pushed his finger in up to the knuckle and then slid it out again, pressing against the tight muscle. As the rim loosed, he added a second finger, and then a third. 

Edric felt like he could do nothing but this all night, with Pavel's gasps and moans and the wet sound his fingers made fucking in and out. 

Pavel’s cock was dripping precome onto his stomach and his hands clutched at the sheets. He tipped his head back and then he groaned, “Please, please, milord. I need you now.” 

“Yes, pretty thing,” Edric whispered. He lined up his cock and slid it in slowly, letting the heat wash over him. He paused for a breath once he was fully seated, then snapped his hips, causing a small cry to escape from Pavel’s lips. He snapped them again, watching the pleasure on Pavel’s face.

“Yes,” Pavel moaned. His hands slid onto Edric’s back, then trailed down until they were gripping Edric’s ass. 

Edric pushed into him again, and again, Pavel squeezing his ass and encouraging him to go deeper and harder. He gazed at the gorgeous man below him. Pavel’s hair was spread out on the pillow, and his teeth worried at a pink lip as he moaned. And he was looking straight at Edric. 

Edric leaned down and dragged his nose along Pavel’s jaw, and then his lips brushed over his cheek until they gently feathered across Pavel’s mouth. It was so soft at first it was barely a kiss. But then it grew firmer, as Edric pressed his lips to Pavel’s and then took one of those lips between his own. Pavel’s mouth fell open as he groaned into Edric’s mouth. Their tongues met, twisting together, wet and probing.

He continued to rock into Pavel in slow, grinding circles as they kissed, his hands in Pavel’s hair. He couldn’t get enough, he wanted to taste more, feel more, fuck harder and deeper until he lost himself entirely in Pavel’s body. 

He wrapped his hand around Pavel’s cock, sliding his palm up and down, wrist twisting. Edric felt the tingling in his gut building as Pavel writhed and moaned and begged. 

“Ahhh,” Pavel panted, his eyelashes fluttering. “Yes, sir. Yes, fuck,  _ more.” _ His back arched, his ass grinding down onto Edric’s cock. 

Edric’s orgasm crashed over him. “Pavel,” he cried as he came, pushing deep into Pavel’s tight hole, hand still sliding over his throbbing length. 

“Yes, Edric,” Pavel whispered, and then he fell over the edge too, his come spurting onto his stomach and chest as Edric continued to thrust into him, riding the waves of pleasure that carried them. 

Finally Edric fell onto the bed next to Pavel, panting. He grabbed a cloth and wiped the other man clean, then draped an arm over Pavel’s chest. Pavel nuzzled a little closer, tucking his head under Edric’s chin. Edric drew small circles on Pavel’s shoulder, nose in his hair. 

Pavel’s fingers lightly brushed Edric’s chest as their breathing slowed, chests rising and falling in unison. 

“Should I go, sir?” Pavel whispered, breath warm on Edric’s neck. 

“No,” Edric replied, eyes closed, limbs liquid. “Stay.” 

* * * * 

“Alright. Who’s going to talk first?” Edric folded his arms and smirked at the two blonde men seated on the ground before him. “Father or son?” 

Clement and Cleeve shot one another a look. 

Clement shook his head. “Don’t say anything,” he grunted at his son.

“Mmm…” Geralt said thoughtfully. He yanked Cleeve to his feet. 

“No, no!” Clement hollered. “Not him!”

Cleeve thrashed as Geralt held him tight under his arm and reached for Cleeve’s bound hands. 

“Pa!” Cleeve yelped as Geralt exerted the first warning pressure on his ring finger. 

“Damn you to fucking hell, witcher!” Clement growled, his eyes bright with fury. 

“Look…” Jaskier stepped in, hands up. “No one needs to break any bones here. Take us to Pavel, then you can fuck off with the money for all we care.” 

“How do we know you won’t kill us?” Cleeve whined, Geralt still with a firm grip on his hand. 

“Shall I kill you now?” Geralt asked, bending the finger back a little farther. 

“Fuck you,” Cleeve forced out through gritted teeth. 

Geralt met Jaskier’s eyes. 

Jaskier nodded. 

There was the crack of tendons popping and Cleeve’s face turned white as he wailed. 

“Fuck,” Clement spat. “I’ll take you to him. Just let go of my boy.” 

Geralt unceremoniously dropped Cleeve into the dirt and crouched in front of Clement. The man stiffened and cringed away from the witcher’s cold gaze. Edric grinned. 

“How far?” Geralt pressed. 

“About a day’s walk.” 

“Where?” 

“We have a camp… ten miles east of Gailwerder.”

“How many?” 

Clement pressed his lips together and glared at Geralt.

“How… many…” Geralt repeated, shifting his eyes back over to Cleeve, who was clutching his hand and whimpering. 

“I don’t know… it changes.” 

Geralt stood and took a step towards Cleeve. 

“Fuck! We left two with your man. There’s others that use the camp, sometimes as many as eight or ten…”

“Mmm.” Geralt jerked his head at Edric and Jaskier and they retreated a distance away to talk. Geralt kept an ear trained on the two men at the fire. 

“Well?” Edric asked Geralt impatiently. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.” 

“We should get some sleep,” Geralt said, casting a glance up at the night sky, estimating they still had about four hours till daylight. 

“Sleep?” Edric asked with a short, humourless laugh. 

Geralt sighed. “You’re no good to Pavel if you haven’t slept. We still have a day’s walk ahead of us.”

Edric snorted. 

Jaskier stepped in and rested a hand on Edric’s forearm. “We want him back, too.” His blue eyes were wide, shining in the moonlight. “At least as much as you do,” he said softly.

“No, it’s different," he snapped. "Pavel is… I…” Edric held Jaskier’s gaze a moment and then his shoulders drooped. He looked over to the witcher. “Geralt,” Edric said, his voice catching. “I need you to bring Pavel back to me.” 

“I will,” Geralt promised, feeling his heart squeeze. “Now we rest.” 

* * * * 

Geralt didn’t sleep, not needing the rest that humans did. There was no need for him to rush the others, though. Jaskier and Edric were awake before the sun was fully up. 

Clement and Cleeve, awkwardly sleeping with their hands bound behind their backs, were kicked awake by Edric once they were ready to leave. They headed off in the direction of Gailwerder, and they hadn’t gone far when Edric eyed Clement, walking just ahead of him. 

“Who did you leave Pavel with?” Edric demanded. “More old friends of mine?” 

Clement turned to glare at Edric and spat in the brush at his feet. “Fuck you, Ed.” 

“No, fuck  _ you,” _ Edric growled, and he took a sudden swing at Clement, his knuckles connecting with a crack on the other’s man’s cheek. 

Clement stumbled, off balance with his hands tied, and hit the ground with a grunt. 

Edric was on him, grabbing a hold of his jacket and throwing another punch, fist smashing into his mouth this time, splitting his lip open. “What the  _ fuck, _ Clement? Why are you here?” Edric bit out, grabbing onto his lapels with both hands and shaking him. 

Geralt sighed. He had expected Jaskier to be the one needing reining in. The feral Lord Blythe was a surprise. “Edric…” 

“It was Johen’s idea!” Clement whined, attempting to tuck his chin into his collar. 

“No shit,” Edric scoffed, and released Clement with a shove. “You never had a fucking idea in your head in your goddamn life.” 

Clement sat up and worked his jaw in a tentative circle. His lip was swelling now and he spat a gob of blood onto the ground.* “You owe us money. He said this was the best way to get it.” 

“I owe you money?” Edric laughed derisively.

“You know it’s true,” Clement looked up at him, a trickle of blood running down his chin. 

Edric’s eyes narrowed. “I only took what was mine, and Johen knew that.”

Clement shrugged and gave a wheezing laugh. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Lord Blythe.” 

“You f-” 

“Enough,” Geralt barked, stepping in to put a hand on Edric’s chest before he could take another shot at the older man. He yanked Clement to his feet and gave him a shove. “Let’s move.” 

He looked hard at Edric. “They aren’t worth it.” 

Edric took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. “If they’ve hurt him…” 

“Then they’ll pay.”

Edric shook his head. “Of course they will… but that’s not what I’m worried about.” 

They stopped at midday for a small meal and short rest, but then were back at it again. They marched mostly in silence, and Geralt was unnerved by the lack of chatter from Jaskier. He hadn’t even tried to sing since they heard Pavel was taken. 

Gailwerder was visible nestled between two hills in the west when they stopped on a rise above the valley. 

“Where is it?” Geralt rumbled at Clement.

Clement blew out a breath. “There,” he mumbled with a jerk of his chin, nodding towards the east. “See where the river cuts through, those cliffs there? It’s above the bluff, ‘bout a half mile in.” 

Geralt regarded him evenly. “If Pavel’s not there, I will come straight back to you and kill Cleeve.” 

“He was there when we left,” Clement whined. “It’s not my fault if he’s gone.” 

“Oh, yes it is, Clement,” Edric breathed. “It is your fault, because when Johen decided to kidnap my son for ransom, you rounded up the men and made this whole thing happen. And it’s probably your dumbass son’s fault that you got Pavel instead.” 

“It wasn’t me-” Cleeve protested.

“Shut up, Cleeve,” Clement interrupted without looking away from Edric. “We just wanted our money, Ed. Johen said you were rolling in it now. What’s a few thousand marks to you?” His voice was bitter and his eyes hard. 

Edric just stared back, his face unreadable, until Geralt pulled him away. Time to talk strategy now that they had a lay of the land.

“We can’t let Clement and Cleeve get close enough to warn anyone, so someone will have to stay back with them…” Geralt looked at Jaskier. 

Jaskier’s eyes widened. He put his hand on his hip, lips moving in silent indignation. “No- you- Geralt-” He pointed at the witcher. “I am  _ not  _ staying with them.”

“Jaskier… someone has to.” 

“Edric can,” Jaskier protested. 

Edric snorted. “I don’t think so.” 

Geralt shook his head. “Edric has to come. He knows these people.” 

“Geralt.” Jaskier stilled. “I need to be there.” His eyes were pleading, his voice strained. 

“Fuck.” Geralt pursed his lips and looked up at the setting sun. “Fine. We’ll tie them up, a little closer, and leave them.” 

Jaskier slouched with relief. “Thank you.” He wrapped his arms around Geralt, who allowed him a brief hug, nose buried in Jaskier’s brown waves. 

Once darkness fell they began to climb the bluff, then Geralt found a thick stand of trees where they could tie Clement and Cleeve up, hidden away and some distance apart from each other. Once they were gagged and thoroughly bound to trees, glaring daggers at their captors, the three men crept ahead. 

Geralt picked out a guard circling the camp and killed him easily enough with a quick snap of his neck. The body hidden in the brushes, they found a spot to leave their packs and hunker down where Geralt’s witcher senses could observe the small collection of ragged tents and lean-tos. 

“Eight heartbeats…” he started. “Five men around the fire. Two in the bigger tent, and one more in the smaller one on the right.”

“Can you see Pavel?” Jaskier whispered, even though they were far enough away he didn’t need to. 

Geralt shook his head. “No. He could be one of the three in the tents.” 

“So what’s the plan?” Edric asked, his fingers already gripping the handle of his sword. “We wait for them to fall asleep, and then?” 

Geralt held his gaze. “We go get our boy back.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm so I went into a trance and wrote this whole chapter in almost one go. It's nearly double the length of the previous chapters! It's almost all plot with just a bit of smut at the end, but I think we all know that chapter 7, the final one, is going to be alllllll sexy deliciousness for you.

“I go in first, kill the watch, and then the rest before they wake up.” Geralt's eyes narrowed at the camp as he spoke. “Then the big tent.” 

“And Jaskier and I just sit here and have tea?” Edric asked, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. 

“You two circle around the sides and make sure no one makes a break for it.” 

Jaskier jumped in before Edric could. “So what, you’re going to take on seven men on your own while we twiddle our thumbs?”

Geralt rubbed his forehead.  _ This shit again.  _ “I don’t want you two getting hurt. And I know-” he held up his hands to stave off their protests “-that you can both handle yourselves, but they’ll all be asleep. It’ll be nothing.” 

Edric and Jaskier grumbled and muttered but Geralt ignored them, setting onto his knees to still his mind and cast his senses out into the dark forest around them. There was a pen of horses in the trees nearby, the animals nickering softly and shuffling their hooves. Otherwise he heard nothing that seemed out of place. 

They had been waiting an hour when his eyes snapped open, his attention drawn to the camp. 

“What is it?” Jaskier asked, worry creasing his forehead.

“Something’s wrong,” Geralt frowned, watching the tension in the bodies around the fire, noting the increased heart rates. They weren’t talking, though. Then he heard a bird whistle coming from the camp. “Fuck. The guard. They’re waiting for his signal.” 

“Shit,” Edric snapped. “Can you make the call back?” 

Geralt shook his head. “We don’t know what the ‘all-clear’ would be. If I get it wrong, they’ll know we’re out here.” 

He heard the whistle again and shook his head grimly. “They’re not going to be sleeping anytime soon. New plan.”

* * * * 

They slunk a little closer through the trees until Edric and Jaskier could make out the men around the fire, the light from the flames reflecting off of their faces.*

“Do you recognize any of them?” Geralt whispered to Edric. 

Edric nodded, jaw tight. He pointed at a hulking man with black hair and a beard in a furry cloak. “That big bastard there is Doras Pymer. They call him Black Bear. He’ll rip your arms off as soon as look at you.” He gave a humourless chuckle. “That one’s all yours.” 

Doras looked to be at least a head taller than Geralt and easily as wide, even without any armour on.

“I know that one, too-” Edric indicted a smaller man sitting by the fire with a scar down his cheek and an eyepatch “-but that’s it. I think his name is Abner. Sly as a fox, from what I’ve heard.” 

Geralt watched the men around the fire signaling to each other, then Abner and another one, couldn’t have been more than eighteen, crept out past the ring of light, swords drawn, eyes wide. 

“Track them,” Geralt whispered to Edric. 

Edric nodded and vanished into the trees. 

Doras pushed into the larger tent and Geralt strained his ears to hear. 

“Something’s up,” a deep voice mumbled. “Watt is missing. Keep your sword on ‘im.” 

Geralt felt a stab of relief.  _ Pavel.  _ He repeated what the man had said to Jaskier. 

Jaskier bit his lip and squeezed Geralt’s arm. 

The huge man came back out and took a few steps towards the edge of the clearing. His beady eyes surveyed the shadows. He turned and picked up a sword from where it had been propped against a log, then went and roused another man from the smaller tent. 

The four men left in the camp spread out, swords drawn, around the perimeter. 

“That’s our cue,” Jaskier whispered. He leaned forward and slipped a hand around Geralt’s neck, planting his lips on Geralt’s in a desperate kiss. “I love you,” he said fiercely, looking deep into Geralt’s eyes. 

“I love you, too,” Geralt said, brushing Jaskier’s hair off his forehead. “Don’t do anything stupid.” 

“I’ll do my best…” And with that, he was off, prowling through the trees around the edge of the clearing. 

Geralt watched him slip into the camp and duck behind a tent, unseen by the circling men. He took a breath, his throat tight, and pulled his sword from his back. He ran, straight at Doras’ hulking form. Best to catch the brute off guard. 

He was only two steps into the clearing, however, when he heard a startled cry from Jaskier.  _ Already? _ he thought to himself, changing course to head for the tent Jaskier had slipped behind. And then Doras spotted him.  _ Fuck. _

He rounded the corner and saw Jaskier with a man behind him, arm wrapped around Jaskier’s neck, sword pressed to his throat. Jaskier’s sword lay at his feet. 

Geralt forced the panic down, but then heard Doras give a shout and the sound of his heavy feet pounding towards them.

“Drop your sword, witcher, or this one dies,” the other man said, voice high and shaky. 

Time slowed down. Jaskier looked at him, blue eyes calm. Geralt could feel each thud as Doras’ feet hit the ground, the rattle of small stones that shook with each step. He could hear an inhale of the man’s breath, getting closer, then an exhale, a whiff of stale beer reaching Geralt’s nose. 

He saw the point of the sword pressed into Jaskier’s skin. He felt Doras behind him. He could hear the whir of the man’s heavy blade as it began its arc towards him and felt the draft as it cut through the air. 

Geralt dropped to one knee and swung his sword backward in a wide arc behind him, then felt the shock as it connected with Doras’ blade on its way up with a metallic clang. The man was a beast and Geralt felt his strike all the way up his shoulder. He rolled to his feet, raising his blade to block the next swing from Doras. He backed up, parrying Doras’ heavy blows, so he could get closer to where Jaskier stood. The man snarled as he came, showing no fear. 

But Geralt saw that Doras left his right shoulder open for half of a breath when he gathered his strength for a cut, and Geralt slashed with his sword when he saw his next opening. He left a deep gash, and the white of the bone flashed at him. Doras roared and took a step back, so Geralt risked a glance at Jaskier, just in time to see the clever bard slip a knife out of his sleeve and jam it backwards into the other man’s gut. 

The man’s eyes bugged out and he gasped, dropping his sword and staggering backwards. He crashed over a log and fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, moaning, hands covered in red. 

Jaskier scooped up his sword just in time, as the other two men in the clearing reached them. 

Geralt’s blade whirled. He cut the first one down before he could even scream. The second went after Jaskier, but Doras was on him again. He had had to switch his sword arm to his left. It wasn’t as strong. 

Geralt blocked an overhand strike, metal singing as he slid his blade along the other. It reached the hilt and Geralt wrenched his wrist around, snapping the blade out of Doras’ hand. He swung his blade back around and buried it in the other man’s chest with a grunt. 

Doras dropped his sword and clutched at Geralt’s armour weakly, eyes widening in shock. Geralt watched the life draining from those eyes, and thought about how this man had held Pavel prisoner. Geralt shoved him off, wrenching his blade free and turned with his heart in his throat looking for Jaskier. 

Clearly the training they had fit in around campfires the past few years had paid off. Jaskier was holding his own, retreating, but successfully blocking the fourth man’s attempted strikes. Luckily the man was clearly inexperienced and clumsy. Watching him slash at Jaskier, Geralt had no qualms about lopping the man’s head clean off. It hit the ground with a thump, moments before the body followed. The moonlight reflected off of the vacant, staring eyes. 

Jaskier’s chest was heaving as they looked at each other. The man Jaskier had stabbed in the gut was still groaning, but the other three lay still. Geralt briefly turned his attention to the forest, yellow eyes sweeping the silent trees. No sign of Edric or the two he had followed. 

Then without a word, they warily circled around to the front of the bigger tent. Geralt could hear two anxious heartbeats inside. His mind raced trying to decide what to do. They had clearly lost the element of surprise. Would he dare to burst in at top speed hoping the captor didn’t panic and do anything dumb? Should he try to distract him and have Jaskier cut through the fabric and sneak in the back? Only the tent wasn’t that large and was made of a sturdy canvas. Someone hacking through the fabric would be obvious, and Geralt didn't see how it would be possible to get in from anywhere but the entrance. Should they wait for Edric’s help? 

His decision was made for him, though, when he heard a brief scuffle and a gasp of pain from inside the tent. 

Bursting in it was. Geralt hefted his sword and pushed through the flap. There was just enough room for him to stand straight up. The tent was about twelve feet long and not quite as wide. It was dimly lit by a lantern. To most, it would reduce the world to shadows and outlines, but it was not an issue for Geralt’s sharp eyes. 

In front of him was Pavel, in plain view. He felt a surge of joy and relief at seeing him alive, and then a dark rage swept through his veins. He gripped his sword handle, knuckles straining. 

Another man was tucked behind Pavel with a goddamned sword to his throat. Geralt was getting really fucking tired of these thugs holding blades to the necks of people he cared about. And in fact there was already a cut down the side of Pavel’s neck, a trickle of blood soaking into his filthy doublet. 

Pavel’s eyes widened and filled with tears when he saw Geralt, and then Jaskier over his shoulder. “You came,” he said, voice small and shaking. 

“Shut up,” the man growled. He was maybe forty with a cap pulled down low over his head. He had a scraggly auburn beard and his eyes were afraid. His arm tightened around Pavel’s neck as he took in Geralt’s armour and white hair. The sword blade shook, a hair's breadth away from beautiful caramel skin. 

Geralt locked eyes with Pavel.  _ It’s okay,  _ he tried to tell him.  _ Stay calm. I’m here.  _

And then Geralt heard the sound of feet running and he swung his sword around as Edric burst in, gasping for breath. There was blood on his blade. His eyes surveyed the tent wildly. “Pavel,” he cried out when he saw him. And then a pause, a sharp inhale. “Artur?” 

“Edric.” The blade on Pavel’s throat wavered. The man swallowed loudly. 

Edric’s mouth gaped open and closed a few times. His eyes went from the sword to Pavel’s face and back. “What are you…?”

“You know him?” Geralt asked warily, eyes on the sword’s edge, which had dropped a few inches from Pavel’s neck. 

“He was my partner…” Edric said quietly. “My friend.”

Artur licked his lips. “I didn’t think you’d be here.” 

“Are you…” Edric was confused. “Artur, you’re not… you’re not working with them, are you?” 

The question hung in the air, already answered. 

Edric’s eyes slid over to Geralt. They exchanged a look. Geralt hoped Edric was thinking the same thing he was. 

“Look, can we…” Edric dropped his sword arm so the weapon hung limply at his side. “Can we go outside and talk about this?” 

“Yes, excellent idea!” Jaskier chirped up, shoulders tense despite his cheerful tone. “This tent was not made for five people and I’m starting to get light headed with the odour of unwashed bodies, to be honest.” 

Artur eyed them warily. “I don’t want to hurt him…” 

“Of course you don’t!” Jaskier agreed. “Let’s all go have a nice, civilized discussion around the campfire, shall we?” He backed up, a bright smile on his face, palms held up. “Geralt, darling, after you.” He waved his arm at the door and gave Geralt a meaningful look. 

“Mmm…” Geralt edged backwards, letting his sword drop too. He didn’t like it, but Jaskier was right, there was no room to do anything in here. He couldn’t risk accidentally hurting someone else. 

“The others?” he quickly murmured to Edric as they ducked out of the tent. 

“One dead, one’s gone. Abner.” 

_ Shit. _ Geralt really didn’t like that one had escaped. But no time to worry about that now.

He, Edric, and Jaskier sat at the far side of the fire, Geralt’s sword in place on his back, and watched as Artur crept out of the tent. 

Arthur still held Pavel firmly in front of him, sword still to his throat. He stayed at a safe distance. He swallowed hard, the pulse in his neck visible. Geralt could smell his sweat. 

Edric stiffened beside him, and Jaskier gasped quietly. The firelight danced across the deep purple bruise around Pavel’s eye, and blood was crusted in his hair on one side. Geralt pushed down the rage that threatened to overtake him again. 

“So, Artur,” Edric said easily, and Geralt marvelled at his calm exterior. “How did you end up falling in with this crew?” 

Artur’s throat bobbed. “Well… I had to do something else when you left, didn’t I?” 

“Of course, I’m just surprised you took up with Johen after what they did to us.” His tone was easy, conversational. 

Artur shrugged, the sword drooping again. “Wasn’t like I had a lot of choice, Ed.” 

Edric nodded, frowning thoughtfully. “Well… they’re all dead now.” 

“All of them?” Artur asked sharply, looking at Geralt. 

Geralt nodded, thinking it best he stay silent. 

“All of them,” Edric confirmed. He waved a hand at the camp. “This is all yours. You can pack it up, take it with you, make a fresh start somewhere. Say,” he said to Geralt, as if the idea had just occurred to him. “Where’s the bag of ransom money?” 

“It’s in Geralt’s pack,” Jaskier answered, jumping to his feet. “I’ll get it.” He jogged off into the trees. 

Edric casually tossed another log into the fire, poking at it until the flames climbed high into the dark sky. It crackled and popped, while Artur shifted nervously on his feet. Pavel watched them helplessly. 

Jaskier returned a minute later, the bag swinging heavy in his hands. He handed it over to Edric. 

Edric weighed it in his hand. “It’s about 2000 marks,” he said to Artur. “And it’s yours. Just let Pavel go.” 

Geralt could see Artur’s mind whirring. “No catch?” 

“No catch, old friend. Not after all we’ve been through. Just leave Pavel and you can go.” Edric stood and smiled, holding the bag out, taking a few steps towards Artur and Pavel. 

Artur let his sword fall. His eyes were watery. “I could really use that money.” 

“Of course you could. It’s the least I can do after... after I left.” Edric took another few tentative steps, smile widening. 

Artur let go of Pavel. One corner of his mouth lifted. “Thanks, Ed,” he breathed out, and reached a hand to take the bag.

Edric launched himself at Artur and they hit the ground with a grunt, Artur’s sword flying from his hand. Jaskier was right behind him, throwing himself onto Artur’s thrashing legs. 

“You piece of shit,” Edric growled at him, climbing onto his chest and pinning his arms down. “You fucking traitor,” he snarled in his face. 

Artur squirmed but he had no chance with two men bigger than him sitting firmly on his limbs. He gave up the struggle and went limp. “Edric… I’m sorry,” he cried. “I’m so sorry. What was I supposed to do without you?” 

“Not fucking kidnap my son, you asshole!”

Geralt ran to Pavel where he had sunk down onto his knees. Geralt took Pavel’s chin and tilted his face to the light. He sucked in his breath. “Who did this to you, Pavel?” he asked softly. 

Pavel’s eyes slid over to the pathetic man snivelling in the dirt. 

Geralt straightened and took a step toward the tangle of limbs. His sword hissed from its scabbard on his back. Edric and Jaskier stood up and backed away. 

Artur saw Geralt coming. “Please!” the man squeaked frantically, hands scrabbling at the dirt as he tried to scoot backwards away from the point of Geralt’s sword. “Please, spare me, witcher. Edric! Edric, we didn’t kidnap your son! Look, I told them it was Pavel! I made them take a servant instead! I would never hurt you like that. I would never hurt your family. I spared your son, spare me in return!” Artur pleaded frantically at his old partner, not able to bring himself to meet Geralt’s yellow eyes. 

Geralt pressed the sword point gently to the man’s neck, just enough that he could feel it, but it wouldn’t break the skin.  _ See how they like it.  _

“No!” Artur gasped, starting to cry now. “Edric, after twenty years! Twenty years we were… partners. How could you let him kill me? Please. Please, look, he’s fine. Your man is fine!”

Geralt looked at Edric. Edric nodded, his mouth a hard line, eyes dark. 

Geralt drew his sword back. 

“But… he’s just a servant!” Artur yelped, desperate. 

Geralt’s eyes narrowed. He rumbled, low in his throat, “He’s everything.” 

The man’s final breath was the beginning of a scream as Geralt sliced his head off. 

“Pavel…” Jaskier darted over to him and fell to his knees, a sob escaping this throat. “Are you okay?” Jaskier’s hands hovered over Pavel’s chest, afraid to touch him. 

Pavel nodded, eyes wet. “I’m okay… I’m okay.” Jaskier gently wrapped his arms around Pavel and pulled him in. His shoulders shook as they hugged. 

Geralt and Edric watched them, and if Geralt didn’t know better, he’d say Edric’s eyes were a little wet, too. 

Edric crouched down, and when Jaskier pulled away, he slipped a hand onto the back of Pavel’s neck and touched their foreheads together. Geralt gave them a moment of privacy and made a point of not listening to the soft words Edric whispered. 

* * * * 

They did a quick sweep of the camp and packed up some food for the journey home. Edric found his stolen horses in the pen, and they each saddled one up for the journey and would lead the rest back to the manor. 

Pavel was unable to ride by himself, still bleeding and weak from hunger. Geralt found him some bread and tucked him in front of Edric in his saddle. Edric wrapped his arms around Pavel, and Geralt noticed the way he pressed his nose under Pavel’s ear and took a deep breath. 

Geralt mounted his horse and surveyed the camp, ready to leave it behind. They had doused the fire, and the moonlight gleamed off the skin of the scattered corpses. Geralt turned his back and clicked at his horse. Slowly, their procession filed through the trees, picking their way back to where they had left Clement and Cleeve. 

And when Geralt saw that Clement was gone, he knew Cleeve would be, too. 

“Fuck.” Gerald climbed off his horse and scanned the ground around them. “Looks like another set of footprints.” There was no sign of the ropes. 

“Do you think Abner found them?” Edric asked with a pained expression on his face. 

“Maybe” Geralt shook his head, angry at himself for leaving the men alone. “Do you want to go after them?” 

Edric bit his lip and looked at Pavel, who was leaning back into Edric, his eyes closed. “I want to get Pavel home.” 

Geralt nodded. “If they have any sense they won’t show their faces anywhere near here ever again.” 

“If they have any sense…” Edric muttered. 

They slowly made their way down the bluff in the dark and rode for an hour along the road from Gailwerder until they found a spot to camp for the rest of the night. Geralt was tired but refused to sleep a wink. He kept an eye on the other three instead, curled up in their bedrolls with Pavel wedged protectively between them. 

Geralt watched their chests rise and fall in a gentle rhythm, and felt an ache at the fragility of life. 

* * * *

They made good time on horseback and arrived at Blythe Manor the next afternoon. It seemed the entire household was waiting out front by the time they climbed off their mounts. 

Geralt lifted Pavel down and he curled up against him, face pressed to his chest. “Give him some space,” Geralt rumbled and the crowd melted back as he made his way in. 

“Put him in my room,” Edric said to Geralt as he strode ahead, barking orders at his staff. “Prepare a bath, immediately, with extra buckets of water. Bandages, salve, washbasins, and flannels. Then some broth and bread and three full dinners brought up in half an hour. Take their bags to the Wolf guestroom.” The crowd scattered. 

Geralt and Jaskier followed Edric to his room, and stood to the side watching the servants bustling about preparing the bath and bringing the supplies Edric had asked for. Geralt still cradled Pavel, reluctant to let him go just yet. 

Once the tub was full, Edric dismissed everyone and shut the door firmly behind those last to leave. The three of them gently pulled Pavel’s filthy clothes off and set him in the tub. He had bruises on his wrists and ankles too and Geralt felt his jaw clench, suddenly regretting not going after Clement and Cleeve. 

They bathed him, Edric gently working the dried blood from his hair around his head wound, which had healed over. Jaskier rinsed him in clean water, and helped him dress in soft linen pants and a shirt. Geralt bandaged the cut on his neck, letting his hands linger on Pavel’s delicate skin. 

Pavel didn’t say much, just thanked them repeatedly and answered their questions with a soft shake or nod of his head. 

When the food arrived, the four of them ate hungrily. Pavel managed half a bowl of broth and a few bites of bread before his eyes started drooping. Edric tucked him into his bed. The three men stood watching him silently, each lost in his own thoughts. 

Finally Edric looked over to Geralt and Jaskier. “Go, sleep,” Edric murmured to them. “I’ll sit with him.” 

Geralt started to protest when Jaskier took his hand. “You’ve been awake for days, my witcher. You need to sleep, too.” 

* * * * 

Geralt closed their bedroom door behind them and watched Jaskier sink onto the bed like his legs gave out. 

“Geralt,” he said, looking up at him, his eyes wide and wet. 

Geralt sat next to him, wrapping his arms around him. “I know.” 

Jaskier began to sob into Geralt’s shoulder. “What if we had lost him… what if I lost you?” 

“Shhh,” Geralt soothed, rubbing Jaskier’s back. “It’s okay. Pavel is safe, I’m here… it’s okay.” 

He held Jaskier until the sobbing subsided, then rocked him gently until his breathing evened out again. 

“I love you,” Jaskier whispered into Geralt’s wet shoulder. 

“I know,” Geralt replied, tightening his grip and pressing his nose into Jaskier’s neck, inhaling the man’s warm, comforting scent. 

Jaskier tilted his head up and found Geralt’s lips, his tongue pushing into Geralt’s mouth. Geralt hummed and slid his hands up under Jaskier’s shirt onto warm skin. The kiss quickly grew frantic and needy, and Jaskier’s hands pulled at Geralt’s shirt until he could tug it over his head. 

Jaskier’s shirt followed, then their boots. When their pants joined the pile on the floor, Geralt pulled a vial of lube out of his pack. He fell back onto the pillows and pulled Jaskier down with him. 

Jaskier kissed him deeply, hands laced through Geralt’s hair, and he could feel Jaskier’s hard cock rubbing against his. He tipped some lube into his palm and slid his arm around to press a finger to Jaskier’s hole. 

“Yes, please,” Jaskier whispered, spreading his legs further and arching his back. “Take me, Geralt.” 

Geralt slid his finger in and Jaskier pushed back onto it, tipping his head back and groaning. He fucked himself on Geralt’s finger until it slid loosely, then Geralt added another. “Good boy,” he murmured, as Jaskier circled his hips. 

“Yes, more,” Jaskier breathed, lifting up to give Geralt room. “I need more.” 

Geralt added a third, stretching out Jaskier’s tight rim. Jaskier rocked eagerly, panting and moaning obscenely into Geralt’s mouth. 

When Geralt felt Jaskier stretching loose and ready around his fingers, he pulled his hand back and gripped Jaskier’s hips. “Lift yourself up.” 

Jaskier raised his hips and Geralt lined his cock up. Jaskier sank onto the head, letting out a groan. He let himself inch downwards, little by little. 

Geralt watched Jaskier’s face. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed, his mouth open, pink tongue peeking out. Once he was fully seated he smoothed his hands over Geralt’s chest and then grinded his hips forward. 

“Mmm, so good, Geralt,” he moaned, rocking again. “Your cock feels so good…”

“Yes, Jaskier.” Geralt took Jaskier’s hips in his hands again. “I want you to fuck yourself on my cock. Like your life fucking depends on it.” 

“Yes, sir,” Jaskier breathed and he was off.

Geralt didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so beautiful as Jaskier riding him like this. His face was flushed, his cock red and throbbing. It bounced with each thrust, dripping onto Geralt’s stomach. His legs shook with the effort. 

“Ride me harder,” Geralt rumbled when he felt his own orgasm approaching. “You’re going to come on my cock alone.”

Jaskier groaned and slammed his ass into Geralt again and again. 

Geralt felt Jaskier’s thighs tightening and trembling. “Come now, Jaskier. Come for me.” 

Jaskier moaned and clenched down on Geralt, his come spurting all over Geralt’s chest. 

Geralt came too, shouting and thrusting up into Jaskier’s pulsing heat. 

Jaskier rode out his orgasm, then fell onto the bed, pressing himself to Geralt’s side. “I love you so much,” he whispered, tears in his eyes again. 

Geralt pulled him even closer, breathed him in. “I love you, too.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, writing foursomes is hard. There are a lot of... things to keep track of. Hope you like it! And thank you to my loyal commenters, you are the wind in my sails. ❤️

Geralt managed to sleep for four solid hours. When he awoke, he slipped out from under Jaskier’s arm, pulled on some clean clothes, and made his way through the silent manor back to Edric’s bedroom. 

He pushed the door open silently and peeked in. Pavel was sleeping peacefully, looking so small in the huge bed. Edric was curled up awkwardly in an armchair, also fast asleep. Or so Geralt thought. When the door shut softly behind him, Edric jolted up, hand reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. 

“It’s just me,” Geralt said quietly. 

Edric sank back into the chair, chuckling softly and rubbing his eyes. 

“How’s he doing?” Geralt asked in a low voice, taking the chair nearest to Edric’s. 

“Good.” Edric pushed his hair off his forehead and looked over at Pavel. “Good. Has barely moved since he fell asleep.”

“Good.” Geralt watched Pavel for a moment.

“I never thanked you…” Edric suddenly burst out. “For doing what you did to help bring him back to me. I just… thank you, White Wolf. I am in your debt.” 

Geralt shook his head. “No. I am in yours. For the care you have shown Pavel.” 

“Do you love him?” Edric asked suddenly. 

The silence hung heavy for a moment as Geralt thought. Was this love he was feeling for Pavel? He had no doubt it could grow into that, but it had taken him years to realize what he felt for Jaskier. “I could,” he said finally. “Do you?” 

Edric did not look surprised at the question. Instead he leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, hands folded together. He took his time as well. “I think so,” he finally said. “Yes.” 

Geralt nodded. “That’s good.” He shifted in his chair. “Does he… have you…”

“Does he submit to me? Yes.”

“Good.”  _ Stop saying good. _ “I’m glad. We want him to be taken care of.” 

“And what else do you want for him?” Edric asked seriously. 

“I want him to be happy.” 

“Yes.” Edric held Geralt’s gaze. “Whatever makes him happy.” 

* * * * 

Pavel slept until the late morning, woke up to eat some fruit and cheese and have his neck tended to, then slept some more. Edric, Geralt, and Jaskier spent most of the day in Edric’s chamber, dozing, snacking, reading, or playing a few quiet hands of Gwent. Geralt went to check on Roach, and they each had their own bath, otherwise the day passed by within the confines of those four walls.

The three of them had just finished their dinner when Pavel woke up again and stretched against the white bedding with a low groan. He sat up and pushed his hair back, which was rather wild about his head. He saw the three men watching him and smiled shyly. 

‘I don’t know what to say,” he murmured, looking at his hands as they fiddled with the hem of the sheets. “You all came to rescue me and I…” He shook his head and looked up at them. “Thank you.” 

Geralt felt his throat tightening, but before he could figure how to respond, Edric was speaking. 

“Pavel,” he started, then walked over and sat on the end of the bed. “You should never have been taken in the first place. I failed to protect you and I…” He stopped, his face stricken. 

“My lord…” Pavel’s eyes were deep pools of brown, reflecting the flickering candlelight. He shook his head. “It’s not your fault. You had no way of knowing.”

Edric reached forward and rested his hand on the covers above Pavel’s foot. “It will never happen again. I will keep you safe. Always.”

Pavel was looking at Edric with a look of such complete adoration that Geralt wondered for a moment if he and Jaskier should even be there. 

But then Jaskier picked up a tray of food from a side table and cheerfully deposited it next to Pavel, who dug in eagerly. 

Jaskier lounged next to Pavel in the bed while Geralt and Edric sat on the end. They filled Pavel in on what had happened from their end and Pavel told them more about his week in captivity and the kidnapping itself. He avoided their eyes when explaining how they had hit him over the head, and then he woke up, bound and gagged on the back of a horse. 

But then they moved onto lighter topics. Jaskier began with a rather embellished account of Geralt’s recent tangle with a zeugl. Geralt affectionately rolled his eyes at Jaskier’s rather poor imitation of Geralt trying to get a zeugl tentacle out of his hair. 

Pavel’s smile brightened the room, and once he had eaten his fill Jaskier took the tray away, then flopped back onto the bed next to Pavel. 

A silence fell, and Geralt could detect a slight uptick in Pavel’s heart rate as the four men looked at each other. 

With a heavy glance at Geralt, Jaskier slid over to Pavel and took his chin in his hand. Pavel looked at him, lips open, and Jaskier leaned in to kiss him. Pavel kissed him back, soft and sweet, but when Jaskier pulled away, his eyes flicked over to Edric.

“It’s okay,” Edric said. “You can kiss him if you want to.” 

Pavel smiled softly and looked back at Jaskier. This time Pavel leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jaskier’s, tongue lapping into Jaskier’s mouth. Jaskier groaned softly in response and threaded his fingers through Pavel’s hair. 

They continued kissing, pink tongues flashing, until finally Jaskier pulled away, both men panting and flushed.

“Pavel,” Geralt rumbled, his cock thickening in his pants. “We just want to make you happy tonight. What do you need from us?”

Pavel looked at each of them in turn, biting his lip and tucking his hair behind his ear. “I want… all of you. I want you to…” He blushed. Fuck, Geralt had missed that blush. “I want you to use me. However you want. Making you feel good makes me happy.” 

Geralt stood up and pulled his shirt off. His pants were slung low on his hip bones. He walked over to Pavel and pulled the covers back. He slid his hands under Pavel’s shirt and pulled it up over his head, then pushed his hands under Pavel’s waistband and tugged his pants off. Pavel’s beautiful cock sprang free, already hard. Geralt stroked it gently. “We’re going to make you feel so good, baby. Tell us your safe word again.” 

“Apple.” Pavel squirmed with pleasure under Geralt’s touch. 

“Mine is ‘Roach’, Jaskier’s is ‘Oxenfurt’. Edric?” 

“Wagon.” Edric’s eyes were dark and intense as they watched Geralt’s hand move. 

Geralt nodded, still stroking Pavel’s hard length. “Use your word if you need anyone to stop. Now get on your hands and knees for me, pretty thing.” 

Pavel shivered and rolled onto his hands and knees. Geralt admired his long, lean body and smooth skin. 

“Face the headboard,” he ordered, trailing fingertips over Pavel’s shoulders. “We want to give Lord Blythe a good view of Jaskier opening you up, don’t we?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Jaskier’s clothes flew off and he eagerly took his place behind Pavel on the bed. He ran his hands up and down over his smooth back then took a cheek in each hand and spread Pavel wide. “Mmm,” he sighed, “Gorgeous.” Then leaned forward and teased at the opening with his tongue. Pavel gasped.

Geralt put a hand on Pavel’s head, stroking his dark curls. “Does that feel good, Pavel?” 

“Mmmm, yes, sir,” Pavel breathed. 

“Good boy.” Geralt gave Pavel’s dick a few more strokes. He looked at Edric still sitting on the end of the bed, now palming his cock through his pants. “Let’s see what that clever mouth can do besides sing, Jaskier.” 

Jaskier smiled and dragged a long, wet stripe from Pavel’s balls up to his entrance, then he swirled around the opening. Pavel groaned as Jaskier’s tongue flicked in and out of his mouth. 

“Such a tease,” Geralt finally tutted, slipping his fingers into Jaskier’s hair. “I want your tongue inside him.” 

“Yes, sir,” Jaskier murmured, and pushed it in past Pavel’s tight rim. 

Pavel keened as Jaskier’s tongue slid in and out, his hole wet with saliva.

“Deeper,” Geralt rumbled, pushing Jaskier’s head farther in until his nose was buried between Pavel’s cheeks. 

“Ah, fuck,” Pavel hissed, arching his back. A bead of precome gleamed on the head of his cock. 

Jaskier’s head bobbed in and out, and the wet noises of his tongue fucking Pavel’s ass made Geralt want to squeeze his own cock. 

“Good boy,” Geralt stroked Jaskier’s head. “Fingers now.” 

Jaskier sat up, his chin glistening, eyes on Pavel’s stretched out opening. 

Geralt drizzled lube down Pavel’s crack. Jaskier swirled two fingers in the slick then slid them into Pavel’s hole. “He needs more,” Jaskier whispered, blue eyes bright. 

“Then give it to him,” Geralt told him. 

Jaskier added two more fingers and pumped them in and out. He rubbed his other hand on Pavel’s lower back. “You’re doing so well, Pavel. We need to get you ready for Geralt’s cock, don’t we?” 

“Yes, thank you, Jaskier,” Pavel groaned, dropping down to his elbows and resting his head on his forearms. 

Geralt watched Pavel’s rim stretching over Jaskier’s fingers, then stepped forward and touched the tight ring with his own finger. “I’m going to give you one of mine, too. Stretch you out real good.” 

“Yes, daddy.” Pavel quivered. “Yes.” 

Edric let out a groan and slid his hand into his pants. 

Geralt added his finger to Jaskier’s four and they pushed in and held them in place while Pavel writhed. 

“Oh, gods,” he panted. “Yes, more… please, give me your cock, sir.” 

Geralt quirked his finger up against Pavel’s prostate and the man cried out. 

“Such a good boy,” Geralt murmured. “Let’s give him what he wants.” 

Geralt climbed onto the bed and pulled Pavel up onto just his knees. He turned him so they were facing the edge of the bed and Geralt lined up his cock with Pavel’s gaping hole. He wrapped his arms around Pavel’s narrow chest and pushed into him, relishing the low groan he made. 

Jaskier watched Geralt fuck into him for a few thrusts, then dropped to his knees on the floor in front of Pavel and opened his mouth. He touched Pavel’s cock with his tongue and let it slide back and forth as Pavel rocked into him. He licked the precome off of the head, then took the head into his mouth. He slid down, swallowing Pavel’s cock until his nose was pressed against Pavel’s pubic hair, then pulled off again, cheeks hollowed. 

“Ahh,” Pavel cried out as Jaskier slid a hand between his legs and fingered his balls. “Fuck, I want to come…” 

“Not yet,” Geralt rumbled. “We want to make you feel so good, baby. Not just yet. Can you wait for me?” 

Pavel gasped as Jaskier swallowed him down again and nodded. “Yes, yes, thank you, sir.” 

Geralt chuckled. “Go easy on our boy, Jaskier. Let’s give him a chance to be good…” 

Jaskier smiled around Pavel’s length, then put his hands on Pavel’s hips and held his head still, just letting Geralt’s thrusts work Pavel’s cock in and out of his mouth. 

Edric thought it would be hard to watch Pavel with other men. He thought he would feel jealous seeing someone else’s dick in his boy. But watching Pavel getting speared by Geralt’s massive witcher cock while Jaskier swallowed him down? It was the hottest fucking thing he’d ever seen. He had to take his own hand off his dick before he came in his pants. 

He stood up, tossed his shirt, and stepped over to join them instead. Pavel opened his eyes and saw Edric watching him. His eyelashes fluttered closed again as he tipped his head back onto Geralt’s shoulder. His nipples were hard and dark against soft, smooth skin. “Milord,” he mumbled as he shook from Geralt’s thrusts. “So good,” he sighed. 

Jaskier shifted over so Edric could stand closer. 

Edric watched Pavel’s cock slide over Jaskier’s tongue and groaned. He leaned down to take Pavel’s lips between his own. He thrust his tongue into Pavel’s mouth, probing and claiming that space as his own. He could feel Geralt’s yellow eyes on him from only inches away. 

Pavel moaned into his mouth as Geralt thrusted harder, until Pavel broke away, panting. “Please may I come now, sir...” 

“Yes, you’ve been such a good boy.” Geralt ran a hand over Pavel’s nipples. “Come into Jaskier’s mouth,” Geralt gritted out, his skin slapping against Pavel’s ass. 

Jaskier closed his lips over Pavel’s dick, and Pavel cried out as his hips surged into Jaskier’s mouth. Edric watched his face as he came, flushed and gorgeous, long lashes fluttering on his cheeks. He leaned in to kiss him again, and Pavel whimpered happily into Edric’s mouth. Their tongues wound together lazily. 

Jaskier finished swallowing Pavel’s come and pulled off his dick, licking his lips. Then Edric felt hands in his waistband as Jaskier gave his pants a tug. Edric looked down and the bard was looking up at him, a question on his face. Edric nodded and Jaskier yanked his pants the rest of the way down. 

_ Fuck, he  _ did _ have a clever tongue, _ Edric discovered _. _ The bard was  _ at least _ as good at sucking cock as Pavel was. He’d need more time to decide for sure. 

Edric turned his head to kiss Pavel again while Jaskier sucked him off, tongue dancing and teasing at his dick. Pavel groaned into Edric’s mouth as Geralt continued to pound into him. 

“Gods, you’re so tight,” Geralt panted as his hips sped up. He held Pavel’s waist tightly as a groan ripped out of him. He slammed into him once, twice more, grunting with each thrust. Geralt looked pretty fucking good as he came too, Edric thought, with his golden eyes darkening and skin glowing with sweat. 

Geralt took a deep breath, nose against Pavel’s neck, then pulled out. Edric watched Geralt’s come come dripping down Pavel’s leg. 

“Do you want more?” Geralt rumbled into Pavel’s ear. 

“Yes, please, sir,” Pavel moaned. 

“You have to earn it first. You’re going to suck some cock with that pretty mouth of yours.” Geralt pushed Pavel back down onto all fours and looked at Edric with a raised eyebrow. He jerked his head at the head of the bed. 

Jaskier pulled off of Edric with a pop and smirked up at him. Edric paused for a moment with a glance at Geralt, but then Pavel looked over at him expectantly with wide, hopeful eyes. Edric sat on the bed in front of Pavel and lay back on the pillows. Pavel hungrily took his cock in his mouth, groaning as he swallowed it down, hand gripping the base.  _ Gods, so good. _ Pavel’s head bobbed while Edric threaded his fingers through Pavel’s hair. “Good puppy,” he breathed, as Pavel’s tongue swirled over the head. 

Geralt sat behind Pavel and slipped a lubed-up finger into his stretched out hole. He looked at Jaskier where he knelt on the floor, cock red and dripping. “Do you want to fuck him, Jaskier?” 

“Yes, sir,” he said, with a catch in his throat. 

“I want you to go nice and slow, and you need to ask me before you come. Do you understand?” 

Jaskier nodded eagerly, “Yes, sir.” 

Geralt shifted over to make room for Jaskier, who climbed into the bed and knelt behind Pavel. He lined up his cock, then pushed in slowly, so slowly. Edric could see Pavel’s cock thickening again where it hung between his knees. 

Pavel groaned as Jaskier entered him, and Edric had to push the building wave of his orgasm back down as Pavel’s throat vibrated against his dick. 

Edric watched Pavel’s lips sliding tight around his shaft and then looked to see Geralt’s golden eyes were watching the same thing. Then they flicked up to meet his. He held them for a moment, then went back to watching Pavel suck his dick. 

Jaskier continued to slowly drag his cock in and out of Pavel’s hole, head tipped back. “Fuck, he feels so good,” Jaskier gasped. “Can I go faster, please, sir?” 

Geralt stroked Pavel’s back. “What do you think, baby? Do you want Jaskier to fuck you harder?” 

Pavel pulled off Edric’s cock to nod his head, panting. “Yes, fuck, please, daddy.” Then he dove back onto Edric’s cock, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked. 

Geralt chuckled. “So eager,” he said, reaching under and giving Pavel’s now fully hard, dripping cock a squeeze. “You heard him. Fuck him faster, Jaskier.” 

Jaskier whimpered and thrust into Pavel, who moaned again. 

“Fuuuck,” Edric groaned, unable to stop himself from pushing his hips up into Pavel’s mouth. 

Jaskier’s hips began to move in earnest, breath coming in short pants. 

Geralt dripped more lube onto his fingers and reached around to press one against Jaskier’s hole. 

Jaskier moaned. “More, Geralt.” 

Geralt smirked. “My boys… so greedy…” He added a second finger into Jaskier’s tight heat, letting Jaskier fuck himself on it as he thrust into Pavel. 

Geralt took himself in his hand, giving his cock a few slow strokes, watching the scene laid out before him. He didn’t know how Edric hadn’t come yet with Pavel sucking his cock like that, and the wet sounds of Jaskier fucking Pavel was making Geralt want to fall over the edge. 

When Jaskier felt loose enough, he added a third finger. It wasn’t long before Geralt could see Jaskier’s orgasm building. 

“Can I come, please, Geralt?” Jaskier panted moments later, his hips snapping hard into Pavel’s ass. 

Geralt let Jaskier bounce on his fingers a few more times. “Do you think you’ve earned it?” he asked. 

“Yes, please, Geralt,” Jaskier begged, his voice desperate. “Please.” 

“You can come,” Geralt told him. Jaskier tightened his grip and cried out as he released deep inside Pavel. 

Geralt watched Edric squirm, his eyes shut tight, fingers gently tugging at Pavel’s hair. “I think Lord Blythe wants a turn with that ass. Doesn’t he?” Geralt smirked. 

Edric opened his eyes and looked at Geralt, then took a firmer grip on Pavel’s hair and pulled him off. “I want you to sit on my cock, pretty thing,” Edric murmured at him. 

Jaskier slid out of Pavel and Geralt pulled his bard over. He pushed Jaskier’s hair back and took his chin in his hands. They held eyes for a moment, then Geralt pressed his lips to Jaskier’s. Jaskier’s mouth fell open and he licked into Geralt’s mouth in a deep kiss. 

Pavel looked up at Edric, tossing his hair back, then he climbed up onto Edric’s lap. Edric lined up his cock and Pavel sank down with an obscene groan, Jaskier and Geralt’s come dripping out onto Edric’s thighs.

Geralt gave Jaskier a gentle push so he was kneeling next to Pavel. Geralt held onto Jaskier’s hips and pressed into him. Jaskier turned back and found Geralt’s lips again as Geralt began to rock into him. Jaskier’s soft cock brushed against Pavel’s thigh. 

“I want you to kiss Pavel,” Geralt ordered after he broke away, nodding at the man. “And touch him.” 

Jaskier turned, and slid a hand around Pavel’s back. Pavel turned to him and leaned forward, their lips meeting wetly, tongues dancing. Jaskier’s hand found Pavel’s prick and he played with the wet slit with his thumb. 

“That’s good,” Geralt told him. “Good boys.” 

Pavel continued to rock on Edric’s cock as they kissed, both making soft gasps and moans into each other’s mouths. 

Geralt wrapped a hand around Jaskier’s cock, stroking him back to full hardness. 

For a moment the only noise was the wet sound of fucking, and then Pavel groaned and pulled away from Jaskier’s mouth. 

“Gods…” he moaned, eyes shutting as he ground down onto Edric’s cock. “Fuck. Can I come again, please, sir?” 

“You two have been so good… you can come at the same time, onto Lord Blythe.” 

“Yes, sir,” Pavel panted. 

Geralt sped up his hand on Jaskier’s length. “Can you come for me again, Jaskier?” 

Jaskier nodded and jerked Pavel a little harder. 

Pavel cried out, his come spurting onto Edric’s chest, and Jaskier’s followed. 

“Lick it up,” Geralt ordered Jaskier, still fucking into him. Jaskier leaned over Edric’s torso and ran his tongue over his stomach and chest, lapping up his and Pavel’s come. 

Edric thrust up into Pavel, watching Jaskier’s tongue on him, and then shouted himself, finally reaching his climax. 

Pavel rode out Edric’s crests, then leaned forward and kissed him softly. 

“Show us your hole, Pavel,” Geralt said, pulling out of Jaskier. 

Pavel climbed off of Edric’s lap and turned around to face away from them. He went onto his hands and knees and arched his back, presenting himself to them. Geralt’s dick gave a throb.

“Look how fucked out you are.” Edric sat up and pressed a finger against Pavel’s puffy hole dripping with a mixture of come from the three of them. “Do you want more cock, puppy?” 

“Yes, yes,” Pavel panted. “Use me. More.” 

“You little cockslut,” Edric smirked. “So greedy. Who wants him next?” 

“He’s mine,” Geralt rumbled. He put a hand on the back of Pavel’s neck, careful to avoid his bandage, and pinned him to the bed. With the other hand he guided his cock into Pavel’s loose hole, and he slid in with a wet noise. 

“God, you still feel so good, all stretched out, dripping with come…” Geralt groaned and circled his hips, flush against Pavel’s ass.

Jaskier lay back next to Edric on the pillows, their cocks soft on their stomachs. Jaskier let his fingertips drift onto Edric’s thigh. 

Geralt didn’t hold back, and began snapping his hips. “You’re a dirty boy, aren’t you? Taking all our cocks like this,” his grunted, skin slapping. 

“Yes, sir,” Pavel moaned into the bedding, eyes closed in ecstasy. 

“Look at them, Pavel,” Geralt demanded. “Look at them watching you get railed.” 

Pavel opened his eyes and saw Jaskier and Edric watching him, eyes hazy with lust. He rocked against the mattress as Geralt pounded into him. 

Geralt eyed Jaskier and Edric. “Did you like it when Jaskier sucked your cock, Lord Blythe?”

Edric felt his cock jump. “Yes.”

“Finish what you started, Jaskier.” 

“Yes, sir.” Jaskier wiggled down and licked along Edric’s cock, then sucked it into his mouth. He gently tongued at it until it started to harden. 

Edric rumbled happily and ran a hand over Jaskier’s hair. “Your bard sucks good dick, witcher.” 

“You should feel him clenching down on your cock when he comes,” Geralt panted.

“Yeah?” Edric looked at Jaskier, who looked up at him with blue eyes and mouth full. “Do you want to come on my cock sometime, bard?” 

Jaskier groaned and nodded. 

Geralt continued to fuck hard into Pavel, watching Jaskier go to work on Edric’s dick. When he felt a tightness coiling in his gut he reached under Pavel and wrapped his fingers around his length. Geralt gave him a few long strokes. “Can you come again for me, Pavel?” 

“Yes, sir,” Pavel panted, and Geralt pumped his shaft in time with his thrusts. 

“Look at your lord,” Geralt ordered. “He likes watching you get used.” 

Pavel locked eyes with Edric, and they came at the same time with deep groans. When Pavel clenched down on Geralt’s cock and spurted into Geralt’s hand, Geralt came too, crashing hard over the edge, vision white, pleasure curling to the tip of every toe.

Jaskier fell onto the sheets next to Edric. Edric put his arm around Jaskier’s shoulders, then held a hand out to Pavel. “Come here.” Pavel crawled over and Edric pulled him in between him and Jaskier. He collapsed next to Edric, and he was immediately engulfed by strong arms from both sides. 

Geralt crawled up behind Jaskier and wrapped himself around his back, his arm snaking over Jaskier and settling on Pavel’s hip. 

Edric’s fingers drifted down and gently prodded at Pavel’s dripping hole. “Such a good boy for us,” Edric murmured, pressing his lips to Pavel’s hair. “You’re perfect.” 

Pavel shivered. “Thank you, milord.” 

* * * * 

Pavel woke up with Edric’s lips around his rapidly hardening dick. 

Golden and blue eyes watched him. Geralt’s arms were around Jaskier, fingers drifting slowly over Jaskier’s dick. They watched Edric carefully, gently worshiping Pavel’s cock. He dragged his tongue slowly up the shaft, over and over, until Pavel’s cock was weeping. He spread Pavel’s legs wide and mouthed at his balls. He lapped at Pavel’s hole while his hand gently stroked his shaft. He sucked his length down, swallowing his gag reflex, cheeks and tongue pulling hard and cock filling his throat. 

Geralt and Jaskier’s hands wandered over Pavel’s chest, tweaking nipples, brushing over lips. Pavel sucked in their fingertips, lapped at them with his tongue. Jaskier kissed him while Geralt ran his fingers through his hair. Still Edric continued to lick and suck with reverence, until Pavel’s soft noises grew louder, feverish. He tipped his head backwards and arched his back, eyes rolling, and his orgasm ripped through him, toes curling, fingers clawing. He shouted and came hard into Edric’s mouth. 

Edric swallowed and carefully lapped at the head, then wiggled back up behind Pavel. He pressed a kiss to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Pavel panted, breath gradually quieting. 

“Shall I fetch us some breakfast, milord?” Pavel finally murmured, smiling sleepily. 

“No. You are on holiday until you’ve fully recovered.” Edric tightened his grip around Pavel’s chest. 

“I’ll get it!” Jaskier said, giving Geralt a quick kiss before wiggling from his grip. He scooted down to the end of the bed and began sorting through the clothes all over the floor to find the ones he had been wearing. 

“I have staff,” Edric murmured into Pavel’s neck. “They can get it.” 

“It’ll be much faster if I go,” Jaskier said. “And I don’t know about you three, but I am  _ starving,” _ he added with a twinkle in his eye as he pulled his pants on, carefully tucking his erection away. 

“Let him go, he’s a brat when he’s hungry,” Geralt rumbled, closing his eyes with a smile.

He was ready for an indignant gasp, but instead heard a low chuckle. “You like it,” Jaskier murmured suggestively. 

Geralt opened his eyes again and found blue eyes twinkling at him at the foot of the bed. Jaskier winked at him, then pulled on his shirt and sashayed out the door, bare feet padding softly. Geralt could actually hear his stomach rumbling as he left. 

He looked over to the other two. They both had their eyes closed, and Edric’s fingers drew small circles on Pavel’s forearm. Then Pavel’s eyes opened and he saw Geralt watching them. He smiled. 

“Geralt.... I….” He paused and bit his lip. “I hope we can still…” He stopped again, squirming a little. Edric’s eyes opened. 

Geralt shifted closer until his chest pressed against Edric’s hands. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Pavel’s. “We can do anything that makes you happy, Pavel.” 

Edric nodded. “Anything.” 

Pavel relaxed and his face broke into a dazzling smile. “Thank you, both of you, because I… you all make me so happy.” 

Geralt smoothed Pavel’s hair back off his forehead and kissed him softly again. “Anything.” 

They dozed until Jaskier kicked the door open, hauling a tray heaped with food. He plopped it on the end of the bed, then went to the sideboard and poured them all a cup of water. 

“Eat up, my lovelies,” he announced, passing the cups around. “You all need your strength!” 

He watched them dig in happily, then climbed onto the bed, fingers hovering over the tray. “You know… I’m going to write a song about you, Edric,” Jaskier mused as he chose a pastry. “Dashing smuggler turned Lord, coming to the rescue of his kidnapped loyal servant...” He took a bite and chewed thoughtfully “... with his impressive… sword work.” 

Geralt snorted. ‘Be prepared for ridiculous exaggerations combined with outright lies.” 

“Well,” Edric chewed a slice of apple. “My sword work  _ is _ impressive.” 

Jaskier tossed back his head and laughed. “Indeed.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t mind seeing more of it in the future, Lord Blythe.” 

Geralt watched the three men laughing and joking and again marvelled at the turns life could take. His heart had burst open when he realized he loved Jaskier, and now Pavel had a piece of it. Their bond was still new and a little tentative, perhaps, but it was there, and growing stronger. And now Edric... Geralt wasn’t quite sure how they all fit together yet, but he was looking forward to figuring it out. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I know some people prefer to avoid OCs so it means a lot to me that you have stuck with my Pavel-verse. Feel free to let a friend or two know that Pavel is good people. >.<
> 
> If there is a box I missed ticking for you with the foursome (I mean, my god, with four THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS), know that I will definitely be writing more for this series! PLEASE feel free to leave a comment with prompts/suggestions/requests for future encounters, or you can DM me on Twitter, or leave an anonymous ask on Tumblr. 
> 
> And okay, now that you've finished this, it's time for some real talk. You absolutely need to read Blaire's [The Lovelorn Monster](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28510629). I know, I know, so many fics, so little time, but frankly you are missing out if you haven't read it. It's one of the very best. It's an amazing modern witcher post-mountain AU with monsters and heartbreak and a happy ending and the most hilarious Geraskier banter and you really need to read it!!! 
> 
> [Subscribe to me](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyRita1967/pseuds/LovelyRita1967) if you like, or come say hi on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LovelyRita1967) (18+) and [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lovelyrita1967). I follow back! 
> 
> Kudos are so appreciated, and each and every comment MAKES MY ENTIRE DAY. Thank you ♥‿♥


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